Page Turner
by karry4harry
Summary: A stranger, a blank book and Audrey has found herself in the world of Twilight with a new past. Will Audrey's presence change the story? As days end, pages are written and Audrey discovers that her days within Forks and with Edward are numbered.
1. Blank

**AN: Hi, everyone. This is my first fanfiction.**

**I'll mostly use UK English - even though I think US English makes more sense phonetically (Isn't it funny how phonetics is spelt with a ph?). **

**Feedback is appreciated. I hope you enjoy reading this.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010

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**Page Turner**

**1. Blank**

"Excuse me."

Momentarily startled, I hurriedly grabbed my messenger bag, whilst juggling my IPod, and moved into the aisle of the train carriage that was coming to a stop.

I glanced up and acknowledged the women vacating the window seat, with a smile. Expecting a smile back, I watched her carefully manoeuvre her briefcase around me as if I were the laser beam that would set off the alarm.

I was greeted with an abrupt nod.

_I guess she was not in the "smiling back" mood._

Then again, I was usually not this happy at five o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon, either. Particularly on sweltering days like today, where I'm crammed in with other commuters who are longing to enter the air conditioning of their suburban homes and who I'm sure are also wishing that Star Trek Transporter Beams were a reality (If they know what a Star Trek Transporter Beam is). Yes. I'm studying science at university. In fact, my good mood can be attributed to my study (or the lack of it). You see, the completion of exams and four months of summer holidays looming before you, with Christmas and New Years thrown in, is enough to place anyone in a happy or "smiling back" mood.

The sharp clicks of "Noddy's" heels, as she descended the stairs to exit the train, were a reminder that I could now return to the two-seater and take the window seat that was previously occupied. Placing my messenger bag on my lap, I was reminded of the item I packed this morning. Instantly, I removed my headphones and placed my IPOD in its compartment and then went about removing the item that had disturbed the normal shape of my bag. My paperback copy of Twilight was quickly opened and I continued my tradition of reading the Twilight series at the end of each university year.

A sharp movement from the train forced me to my right and I bumped into the person who had filled the vacant seat next to me – a person who I had failed to notice up until this point, since my thoughts were otherwise occupied. The stinging on my right arm jabbed at my thoughts and encouraged me to take notice.

The woman who sat next to me was probably in her sixties. She wore her gleaming, grey hair short so that it appeared that soft clouds were framing her face. Silver reading glasses, with what could be a diamond affixed to the outside of each lens, adorned her brilliant blue eyes and matched the sparkling diamonds that ornamented her ears. Another sparkling object stood out as I took further notice of her attire. A beautiful white gold brooch, a spiral of shooting stars, with tails made from a trail of small diamonds leading towards a sapphire at the centre of each five pointed star, was attached to the jacket of a beautiful midnight blue pant suit.

_Ah, a sharp object!_ _One that is probably responsible for the stinging in my arm. _

I instinctively shut my book and grabbed the sore spot on my right arm with my left hand and began to massage it. The women turned to me, removing her glasses and placing them on what I would assume was her lap, since I struggled to drop my gaze from her concerned eyes. Eventually, the intensity was too much and I averted my gaze towards her lap. In the small amount of time I took analysing my neighbour's appearance, I had failed to notice her reading material. Underneath her reading glasses was the unmistakeable cover of Twilight.

"Dear? Are you alright?"

I moved my head up sharply and was met with the worry etched face that belonged to the sophisticated English voice.

"Dear?" The women's tone made me realise that while I'd been lost in my little world of analysing I had neglected to answer her.

_I must look like an idiot._

I quickly glanced around the carriage and thankfully all the other commuters were oblivious to my strange behaviour, but the puzzled gaze of my neighbour suggested otherwise.

"Yes. Sorry, I'm fine. I'm sorry for bumping into you", I stumbled. I attempted to converse confidently, but there was something about this woman that made me … jittery. There was just something peculiar about her. However, the way she talked was anything but peculiar. She was all niceness.

"Please, don't worry about it. I'm perfectly unharmed, but I don't know if I can say the same about you," she said inclining her head towards the hand massaging my arm, then handling her brooch and shaking her head with a smile. She looked up at me with thoughtful eyes, "It serves as a reminder to me that every rose has its thorn, but I never intended for it to serve as a reminder to everyone else. I'm terribly sorry for its…sharpness."

"Actually, I think you could say it was rather… _blunt_," I blurted out without thinking. You see, living with my Dad, who says puns left, right and centre, for twenty years has had its affect on me. Suddenly realising that I had started _opunning_ up with a stranger, I ducked my head and felt the heat rise in my cheeks and ears.

"Yes. I think the brooch made its _point_ known," said the women laughing. Instantly, I didn't feel as stupid and I looked up to the woman's amused expression and laughed too. Once our quiet laughter had died down, the woman fixed her glasses that had slid down her lap. "You are extremely quick witted for someone so young. I mean it as a good thing when I say that that is highly unusual." I was glad she clarified.

"Thank you, ah…" I then realised I didn't know "the woman's" name.

She realised that too and quickly responded, "Mavis," and extended her hand which I shook whilst introducing myself.

"It's nice to meet you Mavis. I'm Audrey and the credit for my wit must be given to my father. I blame him for the crazy workings of my mind". I started to use my hands whilst talking, a sign that I no longer felt jittery. In fact, I felt as if Mavis were an old friend. However, there was that underlying thought that Mavis was different that flittered in and out of mind, as did the thought questioning Mavis' choice in reading.

"If you don't mind me saying, Mavis, it is highly unusual to see someone like you with your current reading material," I nodded towards her lap.

Mavis raised her eyebrows, "By "someone like me" I assume you were referring to my senior citizen status. Correct?"

I dropped my head and said ashamedly, "Well … yes, but I admire you for reading it. I think it is cool. I guess some of the characters are older so I could see how you could relate to them … and I'm rambling and putting my foot in it so I'm just going to stop." Thankfully, Mavis just laughed and made me feel comfortable again. Mavis looked down at her lap and began handling her copy of Twilight.

"I know it is unusual for a woman my age to be reading Twilight, but even senior citizens, like myself, still like to dream of romance and that perfect guy."

Ah, yes. _Edward Anthony Masen Cullen_. The vampire who many people saw as the perfect guy. I never had seen Edward that way. He had his flaws, but these flaws never stopped me from dreaming of what it would be like to meet Edward Cullen (bloodlust free), in his meadow. The corners of my mouth turned up just thinking about it, which I think Mavis noticed.

"Dreaming about your own "perfect guy", dear?" Mavis became more animated whilst speaking, raising her hands and making quotation marks with her fingers.

Mystified by her actions, I smiled and then looked down at my lap before responding, "Yes. That's the only place any guy who wants to be with me exists at the moment – in my mind."

Mavis raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Maybe I should clarify," I thought aloud.

I paused and hesitated whilst contemplating admitting personal information to a woman I had only known for ten minutes. Yet, in those ten minutes I had come to think of her as a confidante. Upon realisation of this, I continued.

"You see, I've never had a guy ask me out or be interested in me in _that_ way. Sometimes I think there is a sign stuck above my head that only guys can see that warns them to stay away from me…" I trailed off, laughing as I spoke to try and hide my discomfort.

Mavis gently placed her left hand on my shoulder. "Sweetheart, I can't confirm the sign hypothesis, for what I hope are obvious reasons,"- we giggled together- "but I can tell you that there is nothing wrong with you." I felt the inevitable moisture and tingling sensation build up in my eyes and tried turning away from Mavis, but she would have none of it. "You are a beautiful, young woman. The right gentleman just hasn't made his appearance yet."

I wiped a small tear from my eye and looked up wistfully. "It would be so nice if Edward Cullen was _that_ gentleman." I rotated around in my seat to face Mavis and said, playfully, "If only he were real!" I did wish he was real, but as I pondered my words I felt the need to add to my statement, "And had no desire to suck my blood!"

Mavis laughed and offered me a warm smile. "Yes, if only he were real…" Mavis glanced quickly down at her book again and then continued. "Don't worry, my dear. Your Edward is out there. He may be closer than you think." Mavis looked past me and out the window. "Well, this is my stop. It was a pleasure meeting you, Audrey."

I looked back into her caring, blue eyes, whilst she replaced her glasses, and shook the hand that was not holding her black, patent leather briefcase. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mavis. Maybe we'll see each other again?"

_I hope I see her again._

By this time, Mavis was standing and descending the stairs to leave the carriage. She turned around. "Maybe we will, Audrey." With that, the doors opened and Mavis hurried down the stairs - possibly a little too lively for a senior citizen in heels - and was gone.

Recollections of the conversation I had had with Mavis remained with me until I heard a new passenger address me.

"Excuse me. Is this your book, miss?"

The businessman inclined his head towards the seat Mavis had just vacated. There sat, what was undoubtedly, Mavis' copy of Twilight. I pondered what I should do. If I said that the book was not mine then it would probably end up on the floor of the carriage or in someone else's possession. Either way, it was not making its way back to Mavis. If, however, I said the book was mine then I would be able to look and see if Mavis had inscribed it with her details and hopefully return it to her. If there was no way to return the book, I'm sure Mavis wouldn't mind me keeping it… At least that's what I told myself, for it was a beautiful hardcopy.

"Miss?"

_I really need to stop drifting off into my own little world._

"Sorry. Yes, it is mine." With that, I picked up the book and placed it, along with my own, into my messenger bag, as my stop was approaching. The man took the seat beside me.

I'd have to look inside Mavis' book when I got home.

"Goodnight, Mum."

I bent over and kissed my Mum on the cheek, whilst she was reclined on the couch. She turned towards me covering a yawn, "Have the Girls had their showers yet?"

I nodded. Surprisingly, my two younger sisters had showered and were in bed before 11pm.

Mum made a move to get up, "Good. God bless. Sweet dreams. Enjoy sleeping in tomorrow morning."

"Don't worry, I will."

I moved towards my Dad. He was sound asleep in the recliner and would most probably stay there the rest of the night. I'd learnt, by now, that any attempts to say goodnight, or wake him when he was in this state, were futile. I watched Mum turn off the television before retreating to my bedroom.

I reclined on my bed, closed my eyes and began my ritual of analysing the day that had been. It didn't take long for me to open my eyes, jump up from the bed and open my messenger bag that sat next to my desk.

_How could I have forgotten to check Mavis' book?_

Returning to my bed, now holding Mavis' copy of Twilight, I opened the front cover to try and find some contact details.

Blank.

I searched on the inside of the back cover. It would be an unusual place for contact details, but I wouldn't say Mavis was usual.

Blank, again.

Flicking back to the front of the book, I noticed something was off. I slowed down and began to scan the pages. They were all blank.

_No, no. They weren't entirely blank._

At the base of every page was a page number.

The last page was labelled four hundred and thirty four.

434…

I raced back to my messenger bag for my own copy of Twilight. It, too, had 434 pages. Closing both books and placing them on my bed, in front of me, I compared the covers. They appeared identical.

At a loss to try and explain the nature of Mavis' book, I decided to call it a night and placed both books on my bedside table. Switching off the lamp, I felt the warm summer breeze against my face as my torso fell against my bed. My mind struggled to come to terms with the weird events of the day. As my eyelids were coaxed to a close by my weary brain, I resigned myself to the fact that maybe Mavis always intended to leave me that blank book. _A blank book… _and then my mind went blank as I slept.

The right side of my face was cold. My right cheek flesh felt as though it had been moulded into an irremovable Joker's grin. Vibrations were pulsing up and down the right side of my face.

_Oh God! Please tell me I'm not having a stroke!_

Abruptly, I opened my eyes.

My knees were resting against a closed glove compartment and above it wipers worked at dispersing the water cascading down a windscreen. I peeled the right side of my face away from the window it had been resting against and welcomed the warm air provided by the air vents. My head ached. I attempted to rest it against my legs, but was restrained by a seat belt. I was jolted out of my sleep induced grogginess.

_How on earth did I end up in a car?_

I'm not one to even mentally swear, but the only thing I could do, as I shook, was breathe out a, "Shit!"

I sat staring straight ahead while my breathing produced a staccato melody. I turned sharply to my left when I felt a warm hand rest on my thigh.

"Calm down. Hey, calm down. It's alright Dree."

The American male, as his accent suggested, continued moving his hand in a soothing motion. I was anything but soothed as I stared at the middle aged driver of the vehicle I was trapped in. His short hair was wavy and damp from the rain and his cheeks were rough with stubble. His eyes were focused entirely on the road ahead, but his furrowed brow suggested that his thoughts appeared to be centred on calming me down. I followed his gaze, while glancing at him surreptitiously. The torrents of rain made trying to determine what lay outside of the car extremely difficult, yet I could see an undercurrent of green as I made use of my peripheral vision. I tried to make out more defined shapes as I looked out the window on my right. It was then that I realised that I was seated on the wrong side of the car if I was a passenger. I was seated on the right hand side of the car and not driving.

_Audrey, you're not in Australia anymore_.

The rain began to ease off and the man removed his hand from my lap in order to adjust the wiper settings. A small amount of sunlight appeared from the overcast sky.

_Please tell me a rainbow isn't about to appear._

As we made our way around a bend, I soon discovered that I was not "somewhere over the rainbow". A large sign stood by the side of the road, reading "Welcome to Forks".

_I must be dreaming. After all, it would make sense. The last thing I did before I slept was look at Twilight. I had Twilight on the brain and this has eventuated in me having a dream about driving to Forks. _

The man adjusted the heat in the car, which drew my attention to the controls on the dash. His hand brushed against what appeared to be a radio as it retreated back to the steering wheel. Dream or no dream, the most likely candidate for the man sitting next to me was,

"Charlie?"

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**So, what do you think? **

**There are plenty of chapters to come.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Karry.**


	2. Inscription

**AN: Hi, everyone. Sorry to those who keep getting alerts about this chapter, but fanfiction is being difficult and for some reason has difficulty editing this chapter (chapter 1 seems to edit fine). So when I find something to edit, I have to delete and repost. I'm still new to uploading on fanfiction so bear with me.  
**

**Feedback is good, so please, please, _please_ review.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish Edward was my Valentine! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010

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**Page Turner**

**2. Inscription**

"Charlie?"

Still staring straight ahead at the road, I saw the corners of his mouth turn up minutely.

"What? Are you too old to call me Uncle Chuck?" He glanced back at the road waiting for my response.

_Uncle Chuck?_

Turning back to me, with what I could see was a forced smile; Charlie attempted to ease the tension that permeated the air.

"I understand that it's not the coolest thing for a seventeen year old to say," Charlie muttered nervously. "What I mean to say is if you want to call me Charlie I don't mind. Would you like to call me Charlie, Dree?"

It seemed he was being rather patient with me – almost too patient – and, perhaps, too accommodating.

One thing that he had said perplexed me. I am most certainly not seventeen. At least, I wasn't seventeen when I had fallen asleep. I was a twenty year old university student! I searched my brain and tried to recall things that I had learnt at university.

_Complex Variables, LaGrange Equations, and Statistics (or Sadistics)…_

Yes. I definitely still had my twenty year old brain, but did I have my twenty year old body? I would have to confirm that later, but none of that mattered because Charlie believed I was seventeen. I wasn't in a position to question him. After all, I was in his car and in his world. I had to improvise and the first rule of improvisation is to accept an offer. Plus, it seemed like he was trying really hard to get me to feel comfortable and as our eyes connected I felt my shield of fear melt away. I wanted to let this man in. I forced a small smile.

"No. Sorry, Uncle Chuck." I paused and moved my fingers through my hair, whilst trying to come up with a conversation starter that would allow Charlie (or apparently my Uncle Chuck) to divulge some information that would allow me to find out what the fork I was doing in Forks.

"I must have fallen asleep and when I woke up suddenly I didn't know where I was." I had decided that the truth couldn't hurt.

Charlie's posture relaxed and he looked at me with caring brown eyes.

"That's alright, Kiddo. That flight from Sydney must have taken a lot out of you." He gazed back at the road, again and rubbed the back of his neck before placing both hands on the steering wheel to round a bend. "It took a lot out of me - my flight, I mean. I slept all through Sunday."

_Why would Charlie be flying back from Sydney?_

I could see he was holding something back from me. It was as if he was scared that his words would awaken something within me – as if they would open Pandora's Box.

"We're not far from home now, Dree."

_Home? _

This foreign place was not my home. My home was a double story house in the suburbs of Sydney. My home was the place that housed my family. It was the place where I could go to escape the rest of the world and find comfort. Forks was not my home, but if I was going to be staying here I might as well get acquainted with my surroundings.

Now that the rain had stopped, I could see that we were driving along what appeared to be the main street of Forks. We met our first traffic lights since I had been awake and when Charlie stopped at a red light I took a good look around. Cars were parked along the side of the street. Mothers wheeling their young children in strollers were heading in and out of a grocery store, whilst other people could be seen reclined in booths at the local diner. It looked like a scene from a Hallmark movie. As the light turned green, I noticed people glancing towards our car. If I was seated in the cruiser than it would not be out of the ordinary for people to be weary of law enforcement, but something told me that the town-folk knew who drove this car and were eager to see the person who occupied the passenger seat – me. They knew I was coming.

_I wish I had known I was coming._

As Charlie turned left, their inquiring eyes followed me in the rear view mirror. I was happy when the streets became less populated and we drove towards a more densely forested area. Eventually, the car slowed and Charlie pulled into the driveway of a small, white, two storey weatherboard home. I looked to my right to appreciate the large tree that reached above the roof of the house and sheltered a large second storey window - Bella and Edward's second storey window.

_Would I get to meet Bella? I wonder if Edward visits often._

The loud creak of Charlie applying the hand break forced me out of my musings.

"Well, we're home, Kiddo."

Charlie opened his door and stepped out of the car and then stretched before heading back towards the boot, or trunk.

_You have to get out, Audrey. _

I stared straight ahead and took a deep breath before extending my arm to open the door. My body protested as I stepped out of the car. My legs felt extremely tight. At the same time, my head was spinning. I quickly shut the door, placed my hands on the roof and leant my head against the cruiser.

_I hate motion sickness._

Eyes cast downwards; I noticed I was wearing my white converse, my favourite pair of jeans, one of my whacky t-shirts and my long black cardigan. I hadn't owned these clothes when I was seventeen. These were a part of my current wardrobe, at home.

_Well, at least I'm not in my pyjamas._

The cruiser was cold and my hands and head didn't stay in touch with it for long. I wrapped my arms around my torso as the chilly Forks air engulfed me- a great contrast to the sticky, summer air of Sydney. The Swarovski ring my parents had given me for my twentieth birthday adorned my right ring finger and I was grateful for the small reminder of the life I had known before waking up.

With the boot lid up, Charlie had failed to notice my uneasiness and had dutifully started extracting my luggage and placing them in a neat pile on a dry patch of the driveway. With the boot lid shut, Charlie noticed me hugging myself and held out my beige parka that had kept me warm in my travels of Europe, after high school.

_Another reminder, Audrey, that you are not seventeen._

I walked up and smiled at Charlie before draping the parka over my shoulders and bending over to carry my messenger bag. Charlie locked the car before picking up the remainder of my luggage – the large suitcase I had used in Europe and my black and silver back pack. I followed Charlie as he headed towards the front door and I began to shiver. Not from the cold. No. I shivered because my psyche was struggling to comprehend the situation I was in and my emotions were responding appropriately. Nervousness, fear, excitement…

_Jasper wouldn't know what had hit him._

Charlie placed my luggage in front of the blue painted timber door before reaching down to a pot, containing what used to be a plant (I think it might have drowned), and producing a bronze key. Unlocking the door, Charlie turned to me before replacing the key.

"You caught that, Kiddo?"

I nodded and gave him double assurance with a, "Yep".

Charlie grinned before replying, "Good, but we'll get you a set of keys cut, anyway."

_Getting a set of keys cut implies that I'll be staying here a while. What about my parents?_

Charlie opened the door and ushered me inside. I heard him place my bags on the timber floorboards and close the door whilst I was taking in my surroundings. Moving out of the foyer and to my right, there was a cosy sitting room that contained a fairly large plasma TV, a coffee table (that had seen better days), two recliners (one more worn than the other) and a two seater couch. A series of pictures arranged on the beige wall, near the staircase that bordered the sitting room, showed the aging of a girl with long mahogany hair, a pale complexion, a heart shaped face and rosy cheeks – Bella. She was quite pretty and delicate looking. I could see why the boys were attracted to her.

As I peaked further around the partition, I noticed a small table set in the corner of the sitting room. A lamp was placed on top of it, as well as a picture containing three people. A middle aged man and woman beamed from the shoulders of a teenage girl with an oval shaped face, medium brown hair and olive green eyes.

_Charlie had a picture of my parents and me, but where were my sisters?_

I heard the creak of the floorboards before I felt Charlie remove my parka. I turned to watch him place it on the hook near the door.

"You thirsty, Dree?" Charlie began walking towards the doorway on the left of the hallway. Now that Charlie had mentioned it, my mouth was rather dry.

"I am a little bit, Ch… Uncle Chuck." _That would take some getting used to._

I followed Charlie through the doorway and was introduced to an eat-in-kitchen, with the famous yellow cabinets that Renee had painted all those years ago. There were a few dirty dishes in the sink and the counter tops were quite dusty. When Charlie opened the fridge, I saw that it contained a carton of milk, a pizza take out box and a few cans of beer.

_I guess the book was right when it said Charlie didn't cook._

Charlie buried his head in the fridge and rubbed the back of his neck before turning to me with an apologetic expression.

"Sorry, Kiddo, but I can only offer you milk or water."

"That's ok, Uncle Chuck. Water is fine." I answered quickly and with a smile to try and put him at ease.

Sipping our glasses of water at the kitchen counter, Charlie spoke up.

"I was thinking of ordering pizza for dinner. Is that ok?"

I nodded as I swallowed my water.

Charlie enquired, "Any favourite toppings?"

I placed my now empty glass on the counter.

"I don't really mind. Just as long as there's no"- Charlie cut me off - "Anchovies?"

I tipped my head to the side. He paused and then softly answered my unasked question.

"Your Mom hated them, too." He finished the last of his water and took mine and his glass to the sink. He seemed hesitant about mentioning my Mum.

_He used past tense, didn't he?_

"Well, I guess I should show you your room." Charlie left the kitchen and I took a moment to steady myself and then promptly followed him into the foyer, retrieved my messenger bag and tailed him as he ascended the stairs with my luggage. There was one door directly to the right of the stairs. Charlie nudged the partially closed door open and went inside. I had created a picture of Bella's room in my minds eye and I wasn't disappointed. True to description, the walls were light blue and yellow laced curtains framed the windows situated to the left and front of the room. A wooden desk, dresser and rocking chair were positioned around the windows and built-in-closet on the right hand wall.

_If I was staying in Bella's room, where was Bella?_

"Isn't this Bella's room, Uncle Chuck?" Charlie looked up from where he was placing my bags.

"Well, it was, but now it's yours. I'm off until Sunday, so I was thinking that we could change the room up a little, if you like. You know, change the wall colour?"

"But what about Bella?" Charlie went and sat down on the edge of the double bed. His tone was solemn.

"Bella hasn't stayed here in a while, Audrey. I spoke to her and she said to strip the room bare and let you make it your own. She wanted to talk to you after you were settled in, by the way."

I interrupted Charlie, "Is Bella not living here because I am?"

Charlie spoke down to the floor. "She was thinking of coming here, whilst her Mom and Phil move around, but she never really wanted to come. I could hear it in her voice. She's just like her Mom – hates the cold." He looked up from under his eyebrows. "You coming here gave her the reason she needed to wait it out with Renee and Phil. There's not enough room for three," he trailed off.

I felt so sorry for Charlie and guilt welled up inside of me at the thought of me preventing Bella from being here, even though I had no control over my current whereabouts.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Chuck. If I wasn't here, Bella could be. I'm sorry for separating you from your daughter." Charlie looked bewildered. He moved from the bed, stood in front of me and raised my chin so he could look at me eye to eye.

"Dree, you did no such thing and you had no control over what brought you here. I don't want you feeling guilty on top of everything else you must be feeling right now."

_What was he avoiding?_

His expression changed. "So what do you say to painting the room?"

I wiped away a tear that had unexpectedly fallen and smiled meeting Charlie's concerned eyes.

"Sounds good."

"It'll have to be on Saturday, though. I know that this might be a bit quick for you, but I was hoping, since tomorrow is Friday, that we could meet with the Principal at the high school and sort out your enrolment and then head to Port Angeles. If you don't feel up to it that's ok…"

"That's fine, Uncle Chuck." Charlie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright then, I'll leave you to unpack." He turned towards the door, but glanced back as if he remembered something.

"Follow the stair railing around and then first door on the right is the bathroom." He left, but quickly returned.

"By the way, your shipment is scheduled to arrive on Saturday. I'll call you down for dinner."

_Shipment?_

"Ok. Thanks."

Then he left and I heard his heavy footfalls as he descended the stairs.

_So much for, "Charlie doesn't hover"! _

For the first time, since my sudden appearance in the land of Forks, I was alone. I moved to stand in front of the mirror that hung above the dresser and was relieved to see that I looked the same as I remembered. Perhaps a little bit worse for wear due to my… _travels._ Moving my hands up to my hair, I looked for and found the scar that I had received only last year after an unfortunate soccer accident. Apparently, the goal post is a better defender than I am. The most important thing was that I had confirmed that I was the same Audrey, both physically and mentally, as I was at home.

_Phew!_

I placed my messenger bag on the floor, beside my bed, whilst I sat down on the bed edge and took a few, much needed, deep breaths. I had so many questions – so many unknowns – that I needed to find an answer for, just for my sanity's sake. From Charlie and mine's discussion, I had come to think that, in this world, my Mum was dead and perhaps my Dad, too.

_Was this also the case back in reality? What is reality anymore? Would my last memory of my parents be of saying goodnight prior to awakening here? _

Eventually, I decided to take a peek into my bags, hoping that they might contain some much needed clues. I opened the messenger bag first, since it was the closest. I found my wallet. Surprisingly, I still had my driver's license. I checked my date of birth. It was still the eleventh of January, 1989. Yet, Charlie believed that I was seventeen.

Could the year be _2006_?

I found my travel documents. Again, my date of birth hadn't changed, but my place of birth had. Instead of being born in Sydney, I had apparently been born in Forks, Washington. This accounted for the Australian and American passports that I had discovered. My ancient laptop (which wouldn't be so ancient in 2006) and charger seemed to be the culprits behind the heaviness of the bag. I also found my IPod Touch in its standard compartment. If the year was 2006, than having an IPod touch, which was released in 2007, may not be such a good idea. I scanned my playlists and found that they still contained songs – I guess – from the future.

_I wonder if my laptop is the same._

In the process of moving my laptop, I came across another item - Mavis' blank Twilight book.

Stunned, it took me some time before I retrieved and opened it. It was no longer a blank book. There was an inscription on the second page.

_**For my train friend, Audrey, who must live her dream and write her story and worry not of the home that she will return to in 434 pages time.**_

With a shaking hand, I turned the page. The words on it briefly recounted what had already come to pass in my time in Forks, as if someone was writing my story. Three pages had been used. I closed the book and rotated it around in my hands as I tried to comprehend what I had seen. I stopped moving it when I saw something peculiar on the spine – something I had failed to notice when I first tried to compare my copy of Twilight to Mavis', back home. How I couldn't of noticed, I don't know. Maybe it had appeared, along with the inscription when I entered this world.

The image of Mavis' brooch stood in place of the publisher's symbol.

I took a few more deep breaths ahead of starting to think again.

The inscription had posed more questions than answers, but of two things I was sure:

Mavis was responsible for however I had ended up in this world; and I had 434 pages to fill of this book before I was able to go home.

A knock at the front door stirred me from my reflections. A moment later, the sound of Charlie's voice carried up the stairs.

"Audrey! The Pizza's here!"

As I placed Mavis' book in the top drawer of the dresser, I made up my mind about what I was going to do. For now, I would do as the inscription said and _try_ not to worry about my family and my home, but most importantly, I would try and enjoy the time I apparently had in the not-so-fictitious world of Twilight.

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**I will try and update by the weekend. Please, let me know what you think! I keep getting plenty of hits, but hardly any reviews. :( Tell me what I'm doing wrong or if I'm actually doing something right. If you review I'll give you a shout out next chapter!  
**

**Until next time,**

**Karry.**


	3. Introductions

Hi, Everyone! Sorry that I haven't updated sooner. To make up for the slow updating, I've made this chapter slightly longer than usual. This chapter sets up a very important meeting for Audrey. Hope you enjoy it!

I'm getting plenty of hits and visitors, but minimal reviews. :(

Thank you to everyone who has read the story, but I'd thank you even more if you did review.

** _Please let me know what you think. Help me to improve the story._  
**

"Thank you even more" to those who did review: _WishingWanderer; ; Kyasarin Freakload; Twi-Twanger; AngelzFromHell._

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010

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**3. Introductions**

It felt foreign waking up smothered in warm bed linen, after sleeping without it for the last two months. For a moment, before I opened my eyes, I questioned if yesterday was all a dream and if I had been safely returned to a bed I had never actually left. The sound of the rain pattering against the window reminded me that its rhythmic drips had assisted me to sleep last night.

_No use waiting any longer to confirm what my mind already knows. _

My sleepy eyes peered through my lashes to see a very dimly lit Bella's room. I still had difficulty grasping ownership of this space, even with my things taking up their standard positions in draws, cupboards and on dressers. I had unpacked my bags before having a much needed shower, the previous night.

During the process of unpacking, I had booted up my laptop to find that, just like my IPod, it contained all my files and programs as of November, 2009. I had sorted out my thoughts on this as the warm water pummelled my back and as I massaged the shampoo into my tangled hair. As a force of habit, I'd limited my shower, and consequently my contemplations, to five minutes. I had realised, whilst towelling myself off, that although there was a shortage of water in Sydney, and hence water restrictions, that was definitely not the case in Forks, Washington. Nevertheless, my short shower had allowed my strained brain to remember some particular files that were contained on my computer - soft copies of the twilight series.

Since that realisation, I'd been faced with a new quandary. As sat up in my bed, hugging my knees to my chest and staring aimlessly at the water logged landscape beyond the window, I tried to answer the question that had been plaguing my thoughts since the previous evening.

_Do I follow the story that I know the outcome to, or do I go about things differently and consequently, remove the security blanket that is my knowledge of what is to come? Is that too big of a risk?_

Fortunately, my rested brain was now responding more rationally.

_Stop being an idiot, Audrey! You have never known what was to come in your real life and you handled it fine, what makes you think it should be any different here? _

Besides, my experiences yesterday had confirmed that my presence in Forks had already changed the story I knew. I had taken Bella's place in Forks, but I was not Bella. If placed in this situation with no prior knowledge of the books, I'm pretty sure I would not go about things the way Bella had. Yet, now I sat, here, in Bella's world, with some knowledge of what I deemed were avoidable events.

_Yes. There are definitely a few situations I would love to try and avoid._

My mind reverted back to the decision I had made the previous night.

_I have to write my own story._

A sharp knock on the bedroom door startled me out of my deliberations and my natural instinct to move backwards caused the back of my head to make contact with the headboard. With the sound of two _knocks_ reverberating in my head, I grasped and massaged the tender spot, before remembering to respond. I attempted to remove any signs of pain from my voice and disguise my discomfort.

"Come in." I dropped my hands from my head and returned them to my lap before Charlie opened the door and entered the room.

"Morning, Dree. Sorry to wake you up early, but we have a busy day ahead of us." Charlie stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, already dressed for the day, and with his hands stuffed in his jean pockets. It seemed as though he had been up a while.

"That's ok, Uncle Chuck. I was up, anyway. What time is it?"

Charlie eased up on hearing my carefree tone. The tension in his shoulders, that had been visibly apparent, lessened.

"It's about eight. I've already called the school and set up a meeting with the Principal for nine thirty. I thought we could head to the diner in town for breakfast and then head to the high school. Sound ok?"

Charlie had, so far, been very considerate of me and seemed to appreciate the adjustments I was facing. He wasn't dictating a schedule for me to follow and seemed uneasy about addressing the fact that we had many things to cram in before he headed back to work on Sunday. I appreciated his effort and moved to alleviate his worry.

"That's fine. Then afterwards, we'll head into Port Angeles?" I thought that my questioning our plans with eagerness might allow Charlie to see that I was fine with the busy nature of the day. Charlie's eyes brightened.

"Yep, that's the plan. I'll leave you to get ready." He moved towards the doorway, but turned around quickly. "Oh, and remember to bring your school records and ID with you, ok?"

I nodded my head, my face bearing a small smile and moved to pull the covers back when I saw Charlie turn the corner. As I headed towards the cupboard to select my outfit for the day, I heard Charlie descend the stairs whilst shouting out, "Try not to damage the furniture with that head of yours, again!"

_Well, if that wasn't evidence to the fact that we were more comfortable with each other, than I don't know what is!_

Reclined in the sofa, with a pizza box resting on our laps, Charlie and I had bonded, the previous evening, over our mutual love of sports. He had been watching an NFL replay when I had come downstairs and had offered to change the channel as I took a seat beside him. When I had told him that I had always wanted someone to explain to me the rules of American football, Charlie nearly choked on his piece of pizza. I listened intently to his explanations and watched, with fascination, as he became more animated. Last night had furthered our relationship and my understanding of American Football, but had failed to further my liking of the sport. As I ascended the stairs, following dinner, I promised to show an interested Charlie some Australian Football.

Dressed, groomed and with my important documents stowed in my handbag, I met Charlie downstairs.

"You look nice, Dree." Charlie smiled at me with approval. I moved towards the foyer and took my parka off the hook and draped it in my arms.

"Thanks."

I hadn't dressed up too much. I had decided on wearing my long black jumper with jeans, my black boots and a grey scarf. I'd left my hair out and had put on some makeup and jewellery.

I knew we were approaching town when I had that feeling of being watched. Looking out the window, I saw that the rain had stopped and watched as a number of pedestrians stepped in a large puddle of water, drenching their pants. They had been so intently trying to get a glimpse of me. They need only have waited a few moments, as soon after, Charlie pulled up in front of the small diner, squashed in a row of buildings that lined highway 101. Everyone seemed to stop doing what they were doing as Charlie exited the car. My chest tightened at the thought of leaving the cruiser and being scrutinized from every angle.

_I wonder if this is how celebrities feel before stepping out onto the red carpet._

As Charlie neared my side of the car, I decided to bite the bullet. As I stepped out of the car and onto the side walk I focused my eyes on Charlie. Charlie's caring eyes gave me enough confidence to turn around and close the door. It appeared that some people had returned to carrying out their business as if undeterred by my presence. _Gosh, I sound so self absorbed! _Others, however, were staring at me with smiles plastered on their faces as if to say, "Welcome". It felt very Stepford Wivesish…

The sound of me closing the door seemed to snap people out of their daze. Charlie ushered me into the very cosy diner fit with doorbell and the smell of old vinyl. He led me to a free booth away from the window and I took the seat that enabled me to have my back facing the other patrons. I removed my coat and scarf and placed them, along with my bag, next to me on the seat. As I brought my head back up, I saw a middle aged woman with curly brown hair, wearing a chequered apron, approach the table. She greeted Charlie.

"Good morning, Chief Swan. That sure is a pretty parcel that you went to pick up, yesterday."She inclined her head towards me.

_Pretty parcel?_

"Ah… yes, Rhonda. This is my niece, Audrey. Dree, meet Rhonda," Charlie said with trepidation, whilst meeting my eyes. I extended my hand and forced a grin on my face.

_I guess you're just going to have to grin and bear more introductions._

"It's nice to meet you, Rhonda. Charlie tells me that this place cooks the best breakfast in town. I'm looking forward to sampling it." Even though Charlie had told me no such thing, I'd decided that a little embellishment couldn't hurt. Rhonda's eyes lit up as she shook my hand.

"Oh she's so sweet, Chief Swan and what an adorable accent!" She bent down so that her face was closer to mine. "Here's your menu, dear. I'll come back in a few to take your order, ok?" Rhonda then retreated back to the kitchen, probably with the intention of telling all the other workers about her meeting me. I was the new toy that had recently hit shelves. Charlie must have recognised what I was feeling and he reached across the table to pat the back of my hand.

"It won't last too long, Dree."

Then, smiling, he leaned forward and said in a hushed tone, "And just so you know, I _do_ think this place cooks the best breakfast in town."

After a hearty serving of pancakes and a few more introductions, Charlie and I bid the diner farewell and headed towards our appointment at Forks High. I was starting to regret eating breakfast when I glanced at the overcast sky as we drove along Spartan Avenue.

_No sun means that the Cullen's will be at school - your new school … the place where you are now headed._

My nerves sky rocketed as Charlie turned into the school parking lot and my eyes caught sight of a very shiny, silver Volvo, which stood out against the maroon and green of the buildings and surrounding shrubs.

_Crap!_

I lost sight of the car when Charlie bypassed the car park and began following a sign that read "front office". Before long, I found myself missing the warmth and security of the cruiser as Charlie and I followed a stone pathway, lined with shrubs and littered with puddles, around to a small building. The front office was very brightly lit and quite warm. It almost reminded me of a fine day in Sydney. The space was riddled with pot plants, effectively hiding most of the orange speckled carpet.

_As if they didn't have enough greenery outside._

Charlie walked towards a red headed woman, partially concealed behind a large plastic desk covered in different piles of paper and folders. I followed him. The woman must have heard our approach, even as she shuffled through paperwork, as she looked up as if scared of being watched.

_I wonder what paperwork she was actually shuffling._

When her eyes fell on Charlie's face, she tried to inconspicuously straighten her shirt out and moved to straighten her glasses whilst fixing a smile to her face.

"Hello there, Chief Swan," she said a little too cheerily. "Is it really nine thirty already?"

"Yeah, it is, Mrs Cope. Shall we take a seat?" Charlie replied in a professional tone. I had a feeling Mrs Cope and Charlie had some history. Mrs Cope tried to look past Charlie, no doubt, to scrutinize me.

"Mrs Cope?" Charlie drew her attention back to himself with his impatient tone.

"Yes, please do. I'll see if Principal Hall is ready to see you." With that, Mrs Cope retreated down a hallway that most probably led to the Principal's office. Before taking a seat on a fold out chair that sat against the wall, I noticed an opened gossip magazine (_ah…that was her paperwork_) and an office phone system situated on the desk.

_Mrs Cope must really have felt uncomfortable around Charlie. _

Intrigued, I turned to Charlie, who had taken the seat next to me.

"Uncle Chuck, what happened between you and Mrs Cope?" Charlie raised his eyebrows as if shocked at how perceptive I was.

"You noticed how uncomfortable she was, did you?" I nodded, staring into his eyes. Charlie checked she wasn't returning before leaning over and whispering, "I caught her driving home a little erratically a few weeks ago. She doesn't want the town-folk to know and they don't. Word hasn't spread about it, because, for once, the gossiper would be the gossip."

I gave Charlie a knowing smile before Mrs Cope made her reappearance.

"Principal Hall will see you and your niece now, Chief Swan."

Charlie and I stood and followed Mrs Cope down the hallway until we were met with an open doorway, which we were ushered into. Walking over the threshold, behind Charlie, I watched as a man with grey hair and a moustache stood from his desk and moved to greet Charlie. He was dressed quite smartly in black trousers and a white shirt with a red tie.

_Most leaders seem to go for red ties._

"Ah, Charlie, it's good to see you again after the unfortunate circumstances of last week. My condolences for the loss of your sister." Principal Hall's tone did suggest sincerity as he placed a comforting hand on Charlie's shoulder. Other than Charlie, he was the first person who I had met in Forks that sounded sincere.

"Thank you, Jerry. I'd like to introduce you to Maggie's daughter, Audrey Darling. Audrey, this is Principal Hall." Jerry and Charlie's exchange had finally confirmed my beliefs that my mother, who was apparently Charlie's sister, had recently died. I tried to suppress the emotions that this realisation awoke in me before meeting Principal Hall's outstretched hand and giving it a good, strong shake.

"It's nice to meet you, Sir." Principal Hall smiled and looked me in the eyes before replying, "Likewise, Miss Darling." He then turned his gaze back to Charlie.

"I can see the resemblance. Please have a seat." He gestured towards the two padded chairs that sat in front of his large wooden desk. Once seated, Principal Hall turned to face me and then asked, "So are you as good a student as your mother was, Miss Darling?" The room seemed too quiet as Charlie and Principal Hall awaited my response.

_How am I supposed to respond to that?_

"_Even better, Principal Hall. You see, the last time I was in high school, I graduated top of my class and received a scholarship to attend university."_

_I'm sure that would go down well. _

It was then I remembered the mystery school records I had brought along with me and so, I retrieved them from my bag and placed them in front of Principal Hall.

"I'm not sure. Hopefully, these will allow you to judge for yourself." I sat anxiously as an expressionless Principal Hall perused my records. I could feel the nerves flowing from Charlie, as well.

After about a minute, Principal Hall met my eyes.

"These records are exemplary, Miss Darling; especially your mathematics results. I don't think she will have any problems settling in to Forks High, Charlie, even though it appears that Audrey's previous curriculum was more elective."

_Never hand anyone records you haven't read yourself, again!_

Charlie was beaming. I was glad I could make him happy.

After discussions about subjects, I found myself looking at a schedule identical to Bella's in Twilight, but with one exception. It was reasoned that I shouldn't study Spanish this year, since I had never studied it before and, that instead, I should substitute it with a senior chemistry class. Principal Hall didn't see me complain. Before this meeting, I had been apprehensive about going to high school again, but now, as subjects were explained to me, I was looking forward to it.

As the meeting came to an end, it was agreed upon that I would start school on Monday and, at that time, collect my schedule and other paperwork from Mrs Cope. After the standard farewell handshakes, Principal Hall spoke up.

"Charlie, while you are here, I was wondering if I could put in a report about some vandalism that occurred in the school while you were overseas."

"More vandalism. That's become a real problem, it seems. Yeah, that should be fine, Jerry." Charlie turned to me. "Dree, would you mind waiting out in the office for me. I shouldn't be too long."

I smiled at him before replying, "No, I don't mind. Thank you for all your help, again, Principal Hall." I then made my way down the hallway and felt Mrs Cope's gaze follow me as I took a seat, again, in the front office. As I sat waiting, she made no attempt to converse with me. This surprised me, since she seemed quite extraverted in the book.

_She really was intimidated by Charlie._

Charlie took longer than expected and my full bladder began to make itself known. Eventually, I worked up the courage to ask Mrs Cope where a bathroom was located.

"Once, you're out this door, follow the hall on your right. It leads to another hall on your left. Go down there and you should see the restroom."

"Thank you. If Charlie comes out, can you tell him where I am please?" I didn't give her time to respond as I bolted out of the office and began following her directions.

I felt relief as I stepped out of the restroom and began to head back to the front office. I mustn't have been concentrating, as I rounded the final bend back to the main hallway, because my side impacted with something hard and a moment later, I heard the tinkle of metal hitting linoleum. Looking down at the floor, I saw a beautiful silver charm bracelet. As I bent over to retrieve it, I felt the presence of someone, most probably its owner. The clasp was broken and I felt the need to apologise.

"I'm so sorry. I seem to get lost in my own little world, these days."

_Oh, how true that was! _

"That's ok. I should have seen you coming," was the response from a bell-like voice.

Shakily standing to my full height, I looked down to meet the topaz eyes of the respondent – Alice Cullen.

Short, wispy, ebony hair framed her face. This, coupled with her small stature and alabaster skin, made it obvious why she was often compared to a pixie.

_I can't believe I'm looking at Alice Cullen._

Momentarily stunned, I hesitated in extending my hand that supported the bracelet. Alice's graceful fingers moved to extract it from my palm without making skin to skin contact. Her eyes looked distant and then her face turned puzzled, before she beamed at me.

_Was she seeing my future?_

"Thanks. Hello, I'm Alice Cullen. Judging by your accent, I'm guessing you're Chief Swan's niece." I was shocked that I was actually having a conversation with _Alice Cullen._ She must have seen this shock displayed on my face as she added, "News travels fast in this town," probably attributing my shock to her knowledge of my situation. I remembered I had to respond.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice. I'm Audrey Darling or, as the town-folk call me, 'Chief Swan's niece'." She laughed enchantingly, but abruptly stopped as her eyes glazed over.

_What is she seeing? _

She awoke from her daze and her topaz eyes nearly had me drowning in their depths as she concentrated on my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Audrey, but I have to go. It was nice meeting you. Do you start here on Monday?"

"Yes. Maybe we'll run into each other, again."

_Here I am, punning with a stranger again._

Like Mavis, Alice laughed out a, "Yes", and then quickly disappeared down the hallway. I stood in a daze for a while before remembering I had to return to Charlie who was probably now waiting for me in the front office. I recalled my meeting with Alice as I slowly walked down the hallway.

"_I should have seen you coming". Did that mean she didn't see me when she searched the future?_

As I approached the door to the front office, I noticed that the day had become brighter. You could almost hope that the sun would break free of the cloud cover and make an appearance…

_That's why Alice had to leave quickly!_

Glancing inside the front office, I saw Charlie talking casually with Principal Hall. Not seeing his tell tale signs of worry, I gave myself some time to think.

My meeting with Alice had gone surprisingly well. She wasn't distant with me, but would that still be the case on Monday? I didn't know, but I knew that my meeting with Alice would play a pivotal part in my dealings with the Cullen Family.

I opened the door to the office, scared and excited of what was to come in the pages of my story.

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**Please review. It's amazing to see how many people are reading this story and I value your feedback.  
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_I mentioned Australian Football in this chapter. If anyone is interested in seeing a visual, there is a link to youtube on my profile._

**Karry.**


	4. Looking Glass

**A/N:** Hi all! I'm sorry that I made you wait a week. I'm back at work now so I can't promise multiple updates each week, but I will definetely try my best to update each weekend.

I struggled with this chapter. Probably because I knew it had to be written, but I was desperate to write down what happens in the next one.

Whilst rereading some chapters I discovered a typo with Audrey's birthday. In the story I had said that it was the 11th of July 1989. It should have been the 11th of January 1989. I must have had July on the brain!

I will leave notes on my profile page to do with Page Turner: edits, updates or ideas, so keep an eye out there.

**As always, please review. **

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

**_Anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter, mid week!_**

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**4. Looking Glass  
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He stood staring at me with hunger in his eyes. His face was set unnaturally as he struggled to restrain himself.

_Hold your ground, Audrey._

I could see his restraint wavering as he drew in a long, deep breath, savouring the scent that filled the room.

"Come on, Dree! You can't cook something that smells that good and expect me not to have a taste," Charlie exhaled. I stirred the pot some more.

"What happened to, "I think it's best if you cook tomorrow and let us order pizza tonight"?" Charlie looked down at the ground, guiltily.

"You can taste it"- I paused and Charlie smiled - "when Billy and Jacob arrive for dinner." I gave Charlie a devilish grin, observing his now stunned expression, and then turned back to attend to the beef and vegetable stew. I could feel his eyes boring holes into my back.

I'd grown accustomed to this feeling. Ever since my encounter with Alice, I'd felt like I was a specimen being observed by eager scientists, my every moved documented as if it could mean something. I'd questioned myself over what I was feeling.

_Are you just being paranoid, Audrey? Or do you want to believe that you hold their interest?_

Nevertheless, this unnerving sensation was intuitive and past experiences had taught me to trust my intuition.

_After all, you knew that Mavis was different._

Thinking about it more, the reason I had been able to sense Charlie's glare was because that feeling of being watched hadn't been as apparent, this afternoon. If I was to pin point an exact time at which I had begun to relax, I would say it was when Charlie opened the front bedroom window of what was slowly becoming my room.

"Dree, I'm going to open the window so the room can aerate and so the paint can dry more quickly. Just remember to close it tonight, ok?" Charlie had tried to force the window open, but it was not budging. Knowing why that was the case, I'd put down my paint filled roller, on a piece of newspaper, and hurriedly moved to the window frame. I'd reached across a frustrated Charlie to remove the large stick I had placed in the frame, last night, not so much to prevent the window being opened, but to act as a warning signal for me. I'd reasoned that if someone, mainly a vampire, opened the window, the stick would snap and wake me up, effectively scaring them off. Unfortunately, Charlie was unaware of this reasoning.

"Why on earth would you put a stick there, Audrey?" Charlie had looked towards me and the stick, perplexedly.

I'd answered honestly and timidly, "I'm scared that people could climb up the tree and break in," looking up at Charlie from under my lashes.

"I'm sorry for being paranoid, Uncle Chuck." Charlie's brow had straightened and he stepped forward to pat my shoulder.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Dree. I understand. Keep the stick if it makes you feel comfortable, but just so you know, no one would ever think to break into the Chief of Police's house."

With that, Charlie had slid the window open, after a little force, and we had continued to paint the walls of the room a rich cream colour. It had made the room so much brighter and with the beautiful lavender bed set and curtains that we had picked up in Port Angeles, _my room_ was beginning to take shape. I had started to take ownership of the space when the shipment, that Charlie had mentioned, arrived. Cardboard boxes, embossed with Mavis' brooch's symbol, held my books and bookends, more clothes and shoes, my pictures, my clock and my lavender led light lamp, from home. Charlie had helped me hang my clock and pictures on the walls. I'd paused when we came to hang the picture of my parents. Staring at their faces and knowing that we were separated, either because of death or the presence of an alternative reality, made my heart ache. The tears, which I had failed to shed whilst in this world, fell. I'd asked Charlie to give me a minute alone, which he had, reluctantly, agreed to. I had held the picture to my chest, trying to fill the hole that had appeared there. Right there and then, I couldn't have given a stuff about being in the world of Twilight and I wanted more than anything to get back home and see my parents and sisters. I went to recover the "not-so-blank book" from the place in my cupboard I had hidden it in. Only twenty pages were used.

_Great! Over 400 to go!_

Exasperated, I'd tossed the book back in the hiding place it shared with my IPod touch and then went to wash my face. As I'd made my way down stairs, I'd heard the end of a telephone conversation that Charlie was having. After hanging up the phone, Charlie had looked at me awkwardly before rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ah…. Dree, do you mind if we have some guests over tonight? Billy and Jacob are nice and all and we sort of have a tradition of watching the playoffs together." It took me a while to process that I'd be meeting Jacob Black. I could see Charlie had been waiting patiently.

"That's fine, Uncle Chuck. Will they be here for dinner?" I'd needed to know this since Charlie had reluctantly agreed, on the drive back from Port Angeles, to allow me to cook my first meal tonight and officially take over cooking duties. I'd always enjoyed cooking.

"You sure you're up for cooking for guests, Dree?" Charlie had asked raising his brow. I'd thought his expression was one of concern for me, but apparently that wasn't the case.

"I mean, you haven't used this stove before and I think it's best if you cook tomorrow and let us order pizza tonight." I'd tried not to look offended as Charlie declared his lack of confidence in my cooking abilities, filled with his unspoken worry for his guest's well being.

I'd lowered my tone, "I can cook, Uncle Chuck, and I will cook dinner tonight, if only for myself. You, Billy and Jacob can have your pizza." With that I'd headed into the kitchen and begun opening cupboards and drawers, noisily, to collect the utensils necessary to cook dinner. Charlie hadn't followed me in, but I'd heard him sigh, "Just like her mother," before the now familiar cries of excited American sports commentators blared in the background. Too many emotions had made their presence known, today_. _

_You couldn't suppress them forever, Audrey._

Leaning over the sink and staring out the window, I'd tried to calm myself down by taking a few deep breaths.

_I __**had**__ just acted like my mother… and like my mother would do, I'd prove Charlie wrong!_

So you can imagine how smug I was feeling as Charlie drooled over my shoulder, trying to get a glimpse of what, I assumed, was now replacing his pizza as his dinner. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the phone's trilling tones. I heard Charlie shuffle around the kitchen bench and turned to see him answer the call, as I moved towards the sink.

"Chief Swan… Oh hi, Greg…" Charlie's conversation went to the back of my mind as my gaze landed on a rusted, red ute, stationed at the curb. Momentarily stunned, it took me a while to register the sound of knocks at the door. I turned to Charlie, who was still on the phone, and he dipped his head in the direction of the door. I saw Charlie grin to himself as I attempted to try and tidy myself up before answering the door. As I entered the hallway and approached the door, I attempted to steady my shaking hands.

_Come on, Audrey! It's not like you were a Team Jacob!_

That did little to console my nerves. Taking a deep breath and plastering a smile on my face, I opened the door. Two sets of dark, deeply set eyes were suddenly fixed on me; perusing me from different heights. I looked down and was met with the wizened face of Billy Black. He smiled at me as recognition dawned in his eyes.

"You must be Maggie's daughter," Billy said whilst extending his hand. I nodded.

"I'm Billy Black and this is my son, Jacob."I returned his greeting and grasped his leathery hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Billy. I'm Audrey." I then brought my gaze up to meet the glowing face of Jacob Black. His long black hair, which was tied in a low pony tail, blew in the wind. I reached around Billy's wheel chair to meet Jacob's warm, russet coloured hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, Jacob." A youthful looking Jacob beamed back at me.

_Is it even possible for Jacob to frown with having such high cheekbones?_

"You too, Audrey. Cool accent, by the way!" His pleasant, husky voice hinted at the man he would become.

"Thanks," I responded in my best American accent. Billy and Jacob both shook with laughter, whilst I shook from the cold. I was reminded that I should invite the guests inside.

"Please, come in," I continued the American accent and stepped aside. Still laughing, Jacob pushed Billy across the threshold and then stepped inside, himself. I quickly closed the door in an attempt to try and keep the warmth in. Jacob grinned at me when I moved past him as he hung up his and Billy's coats. I felt the urge to talk and be a good hostess.

"I'm sorry if I startled you when I answered the door. Charlie's just on the phone at the moment. Shall we move to the sitting room?" I reverted back to my normal voice.

"Sure, sure," Billy replied and I heard him begin to follow me around the hallway partition; the wheels of his chair squeaking against the timber flooring. Jacob plonked down casually on the couch. I remained standing.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" They looked at each other as if sharing an inside joke.

"Actually, Audrey, I'm all set," Billy said whilst indicating to his lap in which a pack of beer sat.

Jacob and Billy watched, amused, as recognition emerged in my features. Heat rose in my cheeks. I brushed a hand through my hair.

"Well, can I get _you_ something to drink, Jacob?" I peered his way.

Before Jacob could reply, I felt a hand being placed on my shoulder.

"She's a good hostess isn't she? Much better than me," Charlie chuckled.

I looked behind my shoulder grinning and quickly added, "Well, I would be worried if you were a good _hostess_, Uncle Chuck." The room was filled with laughter. Charlie rolled his eyes.

"It seems you have a comedian on your hands, Charlie," Billy smirked.

"Yes. It seems her father's antics have rubbed off onto her." Charlie looked down at me, incredulously. I broke his stare.

"Is anyone hungry?" I looked between Jacob and Billy. "I've made beef stew."

***

Ever since I'd woken up in Charlie's cruiser, I'd felt on edge. In such a vast landscape, I'd felt constricted and closed in – confined to a story that was now my reality. As bellows of laughter reverberated around the small sitting area, I felt the tension in my shoulders disappear as I lapped up the energy and openness radiating from the rooms occupants.

After enjoying dinner, Charlie and Billy had opened the beer and switched on the TV. For some time, I'd been content to sit and shake my head in amusement as the males bonded over NFL and shouting at the plasma, but, eventually, I'd grown tired of watching mounds of padded and helmeted individuals fall to the ground and retreated to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. The impression of being watched returned and using my peripheral vision I was able to see Jacob standing in the doorway, holding his empty glass. He'd seemed startled as I'd turned around and addressed him.

"Can I get you a refill?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. That would be great." He'd walked into the kitchen and handed me his glass. As I'd refilled his glass, Jacob initiated conversation.

"So, you don't seem that interested in the NFL playoffs."

I'd handed him his glass of lemonade, before replying with a grin, "Oh, you didn't notice my squealing and screaming?" He'd shaken his head at my sarcasm whilst drinking from his glass. I'd leant back against the kitchen bench and drummed my fingers against the counter top, waiting for the kettle to boil.

"Don't worry. The season finishes in a few weeks." Jacob smirked, "But then you'll have to put up with baseball." It seemed he'd been intent on conversing.

"Baseball I don't mind," I'd said as I turned around to retrieve the now boiled kettle.

_Silence didn't seem right with Jacob in the room. _

"Is this a tradition that you guys and Charlie have… you know watching the big games?" I'd queried whilst juggling the tea bag up and down in a mug.

Jacob had scratched his head before responding, "Yeah. It's kinda Dad and Charlie's thing- this and fishing." He chuckled, "Guess you'll have to put up with our company, too!"

I'd faked a pained expression and raised my hands in front of me, "Nooooooo."

Jacob's empty glass had fallen to the counter top (and luckily didn't smash) as Jacob moved to clutch his sides in laughter.

"Is everything ok in there?" Charlie yelled.

"Yes, Uncle Chuck." I'd moved to steady the glass.

"You're really funny, you know," he'd said, gasping for air. I was glad my antics were amusing to a fifteen year old. I'd always pictured Jacob as this strong, chiselled guy – a constant support for people, but tonight, I'd witnessed the youthful innocence of a teenager with no worries.

_It's a shame he has to grow up so fast and have so many burdens. _

The game had finished now and we were all situated in the hallway. As he was replacing his coat Billy spoke up.

"Well, it was lovely to meet you, Audrey and if you ever need taste testers for your food, be sure to give us a call!"

"Billy, from now on, I'm her one and only taste tester," Charlie replied assuredly, "But I'm sure she'll cook for you again, won't you, Dree?"

"So you're not worried I'm going to poison the guests with my cooking anymore?" I teased.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Dree." Knowing that Charlie was not going to admit to anything, I shuffled towards Jacob.

"It was nice meeting you, Jacob."

"It was nice meeting you, too, Audrey. You should head down to La Push sometime!" He said it with so much sincerity.

_Wait a minute… La Push!_

"Sorry, guys. I'll be back in a sec!" My sudden retreat caused puzzled looks to form on the male's faces. I raced up the stairs, heading to my bedroom and opened the cupboard. I retrieved my IPod and placed it in a small moving box, sealing it with the sticky tape I'd found on the desk. Running back down the stairs, I returned huffed and puffed to questioning looks. I realised it was probably best to do what I had to do away from Billy and Charlie.

"Jake, do you mind if I speak with you in the kitchen for a minute, please?" I said between breaths. Jacob tilted his head to the side, shocked and looked to his father and Charlie for permission. Once garnered, He began to follow me through the doorway.

"Look, I know this is weird, but I'm hoping you can do me a favour," I whispered. When he nodded I continued. "I was wondering if you would mind something for me. You know, keep it safe at your house for me?"

Jacob considered what I was saying before replying quizzically, "Ok, but what do you need minding?"

_Think, Audrey! Think… Got it!_

"Ah… Charlie's present. He knows I got something for him in Port Angeles, the other day, and he's been snooping around. I want to keep it a surprise and so I was hoping you could mind it until the time was right to give it to him."

_That was awesome, Audrey!_

Recognition lit up Jacob's deep eyes.

"Jake, we've got to go," Billy called.

"So, you'll mind it for me?" I said holding out the box. Jacob took it from me and winked.

"Sure. It means you have to come to La Push to retrieve it!" I shook my head and rolled my eyes. As we exited the kitchen I turned to him and said, "Don't open it, Ok?" He just nodded, placed the box in his jacket pocket and gently, pushed me through the door back into the hallway. Charlie and Billy saw me stumble back and shared a knowing glance. Jacob walked towards his Dad's chair and met my incredulous stare.

"Let's go, Dad. Nice seeing you, Charlie. Audrey, I'll see you in La Push, soon, yeah?"

"When I'm ready, Jake." Charlie looked down at me with questioning eyes and then escorted Billy and Jake to their ute, whilst I waited at the door. I felt at ease knowing that the one item that could instantly make the Cullen's suspicious of my being here was in La Push – a place off limits to them. My IPod was the one item that they could just look at and see it was a future technology. I'd also considered giving Jacob Mavis' book, but I'd reasoned that a book didn't instantly give away anything peculiar. Plus, I needed to keep a track of the number of pages used.

As the truck faded into the night, Charlie returned inside and followed me into the kitchen.

"Well, you sure made an impression, especially on Jacob." Charlie was trying to fish for information. "What were you two talking about?" I started washing dishes.

"Nothing much, really. Just about me visiting La Push sometime," I added nonchalantly whilst scrubbing a pot. Charlie grabbed a dishtowel.

"He's a nice boy, Jacob." I couldn't believe where this was headed and decided to stop it and stop it quickly. I faced Charlie.

"I know what you're implying, Uncle Chuck, but please don't. I think of Jacob as a little brother – a comrade if you like." I smiled and rinsed the pot. I handed the pot to Charlie. He smiled at me.

"You did good tonight, kiddo - real good."

"Thanks, Uncle Chuck. What time are you heading into work tomorrow?" I washed out the sink.

"About seven. Dave, from work, is picking me up and we're heading into Port Angeles to investigate something, so don't think I'm here because the cruiser's in the driveway." Charlie wandered across the kitchen and returned the pot to its place.

"If I'm not up when you leave, Uncle Chuck, I've made you lunch for tomorrow. It's in the fridge." I smiled as I walked towards Charlie. He looked at me, apparently lost for words.

"Thank you, Dree," he said filled with emotion. I stared into his watery, deep, brown eyes.

"Goodnight, Uncle Chuck," I said before heading en route for the stairs.

"Sleep well, Dree."

Once I'd showered and prepared for bed, I'd headed into my bedroom, where I noticed my new lavender curtains fluttering in the breeze that blew through the open window. I slowly walked, with my arms wrapped around my chest, to the window. There was something eerie about staring out into the dark world beyond the window and branches of the tree.

_I'm being watched._

I closed my eyes and lessened my breathing, trying to hear beyond the rustle of the wet leaves, but I couldn't.

_What would cause the Cullen's to watch me? They couldn't know anything about me, unless... how could I have been so stupid? _

_What if Edward could read my thoughts?_

I wrenched the window shut and jammed the stick into the window frame. I rushed to the bed and pulled my knees to my chest and found myself rocking back and forth as my thoughts went into overdrive.

_If he's heard my thoughts already, than there's no point trying to block them is there? What have I been thinking since Friday? Who are you kidding you're always thinking about … _

_Shit!_

Repeated knocks sounded against the window. I sat shaking uncontrollably on the bed.

_Were they here to interrogate me?_

The knocks hammered again. I breathed in heavily and crept towards the window. My heart raced like a hummingbirds wings as I stepped closer and closer. I gazed down in time to see that the knocks were from a tree branch hitting the window in the wind.

_Phew… I'll have to cut it in the morning._

As I settled in my bed I cocooned myself with the sheets and embraced the feeling of security they provided. It was going to be a long night.

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**_Anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter, mid week!_**

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**Karry.**


	5. First Sight

A/N: Edward has entered the story! This would have been up sooner, but Chitty Chitty Bang Bang came on TV and I couldn't resist reliving moments of childhood!

I'm astounded by the number of people who are reading this story from all corners of the globe! I hope you're enjoying the story, so far.

**_Remember, anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter, mid week! _**

**_And if you would like to review and don't want a preview, just tell me at the end of the review.  
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**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010

* * *

**

Charlie's snores had been reverberating around the second floor for hours, but it wasn't this that had kept me awake; it was anxiety. Adrenalin pulsed through my body, heightening my senses, as my mind tried to analyse what was going on around me.

_Why was I being watched?_

_Do they know that I know what they are?_

_Why haven't they interrogated me yet?_

As I travelled back in time and reviewed the events of the last two days, I was highly aware of the movements of shadows and the sounds of the night. Every sound spooked me. I tried to calm down and align my heartbeat to the steady beat provided by my clock. Focusing on the ticks, my tired mind shut down in exhaustion and, even though I fought to keep them open, my heavy eyelids drooped.

Everything went black. I became alert. I felt like the darkness was consuming me and I tried to seek out any source of light. I blindly moved around the room, my arms extended in front of me, attempting to make my way to a wall or anything tangible. It did not matter which direction I moved; my hands only ever grasped air.

_Where am I?_

I was ready to stand still and accept my place in the never-ending darkness when my eyes registered a speck of light in front of me. My legs moved instinctively towards it. As I moved closer, the speck distinguished itself into two glowing points. Before I could comprehend what I was advancing towards, I found myself staring into intense topaz eyes. They were not welcoming. My mind was urging me to turn and retreat back into the darkness, but my flesh, weak from fear, caused me to stay frozen in place. Gathering up enough courage, I willed my limbs to propel me around and away from the entrancing topaz orbs, but the eyes followed me. I spanned my surroundings and was no longer met with darkness, but instead, seven pairs of golden eyes. They moved closer. There was no escape.

_They've come for me._

I felt like a king that was about to be captured in a game of chess.

_Check Mate._

I clasped my eyes shut and welcomed the darkness, but the darkness was short lived as the faint glow of light permeated my lids.

_They were right upon me._

The intensity of light increased and increased and I decided to at least glance at what I knew would be the perfect faces of my interrogators. I mustered up the courage to peer through my eyes.

I was in my room, in my bed, with the sheets tangled around me. Dappled sunlight flittered through my curtains, indicating the breaking dawn.

_It was just a dream, Audrey… just a dream._

Twisting myself out of the sheets, I sauntered over to the window, opened the curtains and embraced the cloud-hidden sun's minimal warmth on my skin. The sound of a car braking brought my attention to the road beyond the branches of the tree. Finding a way through the maze of bare branches, I watched as Charlie, dressed in uniform, meandered past his cruiser, down the path and entered the car at the curb. His air changed when he was in uniform. He stood more straight and tall and his face was set in a professional mask. Gone was the laid back man I had come to know and in his place was a man who meant business and who looked intimidating – as he should do. I giggled to myself.

_No wonder Mrs Cope was so uneasy the other day._

As the car pulled away from the curb and Charlie's silhouette disappeared from my sight, my giggling ceased as I realised how much bigger this house seemed now that I was alone. Every noise echoed around the empty place as I prepared myself for a day of solitary confinement, my dream still looming in the back of my mind. I was alone. There was nothing to stop them paying me a visit. There was nothing to prevent them from interrogating me. I sipped at my cup of tea and stared out, beyond the never ceasing rain, into the surrounding forest, whilst seated at the small table in the kitchen. If they were out there, they didn't make themselves known. I didn't feel like I was being observed under a microscope.

_Maybe they don't know that I know what they are. Maybe Edward can't read my mind._

Boosted by my positive contemplations, I decided I was in the mood for some baking. After a few hours of heavy mixing, batter splattering, spoon licking and, unfortunately, dish cleaning, the kitchen bench tops were covered in plates of chocolate brownies, Anzac slice and date and walnut muffins. All the groceries I had managed to persuade Charlie to buy had been put to good use. I didn't need to cook dinner, since there was plenty of stew left and was just about to lounge in the sitting room with a cup of tea, a muffin and my copy of Pride and Prejudice, when the ringing phone broke the comfortable silence. I rushed back into the kitchen, hitting my thigh on a chair as I approached the phone.

_Ouch! That's going to bruise._

I could just imagine a replay of my sprint; Chariot's of Fire music playing in the background and me moving in slow motion. Slightly puffed from the sprint and trying to contain my laughter, I lifted the phone from the receiver.

"Chief Swan's residence. Audrey speaking."

"Wow! Charlie's gotten himself a good secretary. How are you, Audrey?" a smooth female voice responded, cautiously.

Automatically, I replied, "I'm alright. How are you?" and then realised that I didn't know who I was speaking to. Waiting for their response, I thought of my lovely warm cup of tea and muffin and began to salivate. I was hungry.

_Well, whoever I'm speaking to, I hope this will be a short conversation._

"I'm… good. You're not mad at me are you?" The feminine voice asked softly.

"Why would I be mad at you?" I asked puzzled.

An audible sigh travelled across the line.

"Well, I thought, since I didn't go to the funerals…" She trailed off.

_Is this Bella on the phone?_

I paused at my epiphany.

"Audrey, are you still there?" I considered how I could come to an understanding of my past relationship with Bella.

"Yes. I can only accept your decision to not attend my parent's – your aunt and uncle's – funerals. I just… I'm trying to understand why you didn't come, Bella." I don't know why, but it hurt me to think that Bella didn't attend my parent's funeral, even if I had no recollection of it. I conveyed the hurt this revelation had caused in my voice.

"I don't know if I can explain without upsetting you further, Audrey, and besides, I think you know why…" Bella sounded uncomfortable.

"You'll only upset me further if you don't explain why. Even if I do know why, I want to hear you say it, out loud," I replied rather smoothly. I found myself recalling what I deemed the "Soap Opera Scene" in the Twilight movie. I heard what sounded like a mouth opening and closing as if its owner was undecided on how to respond. Eventually, Bella's soft voice ejected from the speaker.

"I was torn, Audrey. Your mom was my aunt, but she hated my mother. I mean… I can understand that, to some extent, because Mom did leave Charlie and Aunt Maggie was just being the protective older sister. So Mom distanced herself from your family. You know Aunt Maggie, Uncle Tom and yourself always spoke to me whenever I went to Charlie's, I mean, that's how we started emailing, but I never actually met you guys in person. I didn't feel like I really knew Aunt Maggie and Uncle Tom. I know you, though." She paused. "Even if I didn't go to the funerals to say bye to them, I should have gone to support you, no matter what my Mom thinks, and for that I'm sorry… so sorry, Audrey." By this point, Bella was sobbing out her apology. This was really eating away at Bella and I could understand the situation she was in. It wasn't easy going against a parent's wishes. She was being an obedient daughter. The rift between Mum and Renee must have been big.

"It's ok, Bella. I forgive you." Bella's sniffles eased, slightly and I think I heard a "Thanks" in between sobs. "You and Charlie are the closest thing I have to family, now. Let's not allow our mum's feud to keep on separating us. I feel horrible that we've never actually met in person. It's not like I'm on the other side of the world, anymore. We should meet up sometime and you can come and visit your Dad. He misses you, you know. When's your mid term break?" I tried to move the conversation onto a more positive topic. The truth was, I felt bad for being the cause of Charlie and Bella's separation, at the current time, and I wanted to amend the situation as best as I could.

Bella questioned, "April, but can we meet up somewhere other than Forks? I'm sure you already want to escape that place, right? The weather is shocking!"

I think I shocked her when I responded, "Actually, I love the weather. I think the only part of me that doesn't love this weather is my hair. I wake up looking like Medusa!" Bella was laughing, now. "Besides," I added, "I'm not sure Charlie can take anymore time off work. So, do you think you could put up with some rain and small town gossip and spend some time meeting your dear old cousin in Forks?"

"Last time I checked, I was older!"

_At least here you're older._

I put on an irritated tone, "Ok. Ok, go into technicalities! Can you just answer my question?"

"Yes." I waited for Bella to continue.

"Well…" I asked impatiently.

"Well, what?" Bella replied.

"Well, answer away!" Bella laughed.

"But I did answer your question. You said, "Can you just answer my question?", which was a question, and I answered with a "yes"," Bella replied smugly.

_Gosh, she was rather witty!_

"But, nevertheless, I would love to meet you, even if it has to be in Forks," Bella continued.

"Great! I'll look forward to it!" I had this feeling that Bella and I would get along.

"I'm sorry to have to cut this short, Audrey, but I've got to go. Um… you have school tomorrow right?"

"Yep," I replied popping the 'p'.

"Well, good luck and if you need any help adjusting, don't be afraid to call me, ok?" I appreciated Bella's concern.

"Thanks, Bella. I'll get you to write my essays for me," I joked.

_Come to think of it, that would be good. _

Bella scoffed, "Only if you do my math homework for me!"

_That didn't sound too bad._

After wishing each other a good week and promising to stay in touch, we ended the call. Bella had seemed more at ease the more we had spoken. She really had felt bad and for some reason, I was glad that I could offer her some comfort. Maybe it was because I felt like I knew her character, but then again; she wasn't the same character that I knew. I returned to the sitting area, running my fingers through my hair as I recalled the conversation with Bella, and slumped down onto the couch and exhaled.

_Will I ever not be confused or puzzled or darn stressed out here?! _

I reached over and took a sip of my lukewarm tea. I contemplated reheating it, but I was too lazy to get off the couch and return to the kitchen.

_I can settle for lukewarm._

I spent the rest of my afternoon reclined on the couch and absorbed in the world of Pride and Prejudice. Worried, at first, that I might actually disappear into this book too, I continued to scan my surroundings and the pages of my novel. When nothing unusual happened, (like pages turning blank), I eased myself further into the couch and, for once, just relaxed. It was a good feeling.

I'd been reading for over an hour when that awkward sensation that arises from someone reading over your shoulder made itself known. Immediately, I turned around and when no one was there, I groaned in frustration and threw my book onto the floor near the window. I held my head in my hands.

"Just go away… just go away." I wasn't sure if I was wishing this or if I was actually directly speaking to whoever was following me (if someone was following me). I was starting to question my own sanity.

_Get it together, Audrey!_

Running my fingers over my eyes and across to my temple, I pushed myself off the couch and headed over to the window to retrieve my book. Coming out of my crouch, I looked up from the cover of the book and out the window when I noticed, from the corner of my eye, a blurry yellow object, juxtaposed against the green backdrop of the forest. Focusing on it, I noticed it was a yellow Volkswagen Beetle and a new one at that.

_Who owns a Beetle? It could be one of __**them**__._

I held my breath as the door of the Beetle opened and the occupant of the car, who had previously been hidden by the tinted windscreen, was revealed.

_Charlie?_

Charlie turned to the window and grinned as he observed my bewildered expression. He inclined his head towards the door and beckoned me to come outside. I placed my book on the coffee table and hurried into the hallway, donning my parka and Converse, before meeting Charlie outside. Charlie, whose hands had previously been in his pockets, opened his arms and gestured towards the car.

"Well, what do you think, Dree?" he asked unsurely. I was puzzled.

"What am I supposed to think?" I gave Charlie a quizzical look. Charlie rubbed the back of his neck, which, I had discovered, was an indication that he was nervous.

"Well for starters, do you like the car?" Charlie looked up at me with his head still bowed.

"Yessss… Should I like the car?" I asked cautiously. Charlie relaxed at my response and chuckled.

"I think you should like _your_ car."

_My car?_

"My car?" I asked with a raised brow. "Did you say it was my car, Uncle Chuck?"

"Yep," he said popping the 'p' and I reacted just in time to catch the keys Charlie tossed at me. "Hop in and let's take it for a spin."

I was astonished. How could Charlie afford this? I mean, Bella only ended up with a beat up old Chevy and here I was the owner of a new Beetle!

Charlie had moved around to the passenger side door and had it opened.

"Well, are you going to take me for a drive or what, Dree?" I was still in shock.

"I don't understand, Uncle Chuck. How could you… why did you buy me a Beetle?" I needed some answers.

Charlie closed the passenger door and moved around the car so that he stood in front of me.

"Dree, your parents, well, they left me some money in their will, apart from the money that is supposed to be for taking care of your needs." He took a step closer and then continued. "Dree, I don't need the money and you needed a car and I knew you fancied the new Volkswagens, plus you can only drive automatics and I happened to know Greg in Port Angeles… it all fell into place, really." Something in my brain clicked.

"Wait. Greg… As in, 'the person who called you last night', Greg?" I queried. Charlie smiled.

"Yep. That's the one. He was confirming my pick up, today. So… can we go for a drive now?" Charlie asked impatiently.

I was just about to move towards the car when it dawned on me, "Uncle Chuck, I don't know how to drive on the right hand side of the road. What if I drift to the left?" I was surprised when Charlie laughed at me.

"You'll be fine, Dree. It's not that hard and I'll be with you anyway. Now come on and get in the car!"

"Wait!" I stopped Charlie as he began to head back to the car.

Charlie huffed, "What is it now?"

Before he had time to react, I wrapped my arms around his torso and hugged him without restraint.

"Thank you, Uncle Chuck."

Slowly, but surely, Charlie reciprocated the hug. His voice cracked as he whispered, "Your welcome, Dree."

Suddenly, I was excited and I startled Charlie when I broke out of the hug and raced towards _my_ car.

_Eeeeeeeeek!_

I touched it, adoringly and then opened the door and sat in the driver's seat. I moved my hands around the smooth steering wheel. I was snapped out of my admiration when I heard the passenger door click open and, not a moment later, Charlie was soon buckled into the passenger seat.

I looked at Charlie, excitedly, before placing the key in the ignition. A twist later, the engine purred to life and I easily navigated the car onto the _right_ side of the road.

I learnt how to use the wipers very quickly.

***

My wipers were put to work, again, as I made the journey towards Forks High. I'd felt rather rejuvenated this morning after a surprisingly wonderful nights sleep. I don't know how I had managed to sleep so well. The nerves that had currently made their presence known must have been in a subliminal state last night. I tapped along, agitatedly, to a CD I had put together, that consisted of songs stored on my computer that were released prior to 2006. Before I knew it, I was entering the car park of Forks High. Unlike Bella had done, I proceeded to find a spot in the student lot. A silver Volvo was the only other new car that resided in the lot. I parked in a space in the far corner, away from the bulk of cars and from a certain silver Volvo. I thought I was used to people's stares, but when I stepped out of the car, messenger bag slung over my shoulder, I realised this was not the case. The sound of me locking the car echoed across the relatively silent parking lot. I tried to scurry out of the rain and away from the gossip in the direction of the office, but a set of trailing eyes stopped me in my tracks.

With the number of times I had read his description, you think I would be prepared for my first sight of Edward Cullen. His chestnut coloured hair fell in spectacular disarray and stood out immensely from his alabaster skin. His face was absurdly handsome and his topaz gaze held the wisdom he had acquired, but that could not be shown in his youthful appearance.

_Topaz? I thought the first time Bella saw him his eyes were coal black._

I shivered from the intensity of his stare and from the cold wind that blew at my back, swirling my rain dampened hair around in my face. Edward's posture stiffened.

_My scent… _

A large restraining arm draped itself across Edward's tensed shoulders. Worried for myself and Edward, I turned away and continued to follow the path to the office at a brisk pace. I had no intention of looking back to try and put faces to the names of the other Cullen's. When I reached the office, I leant against the wall, away from spying eyes, and took a moment to collect myself.

_I know I'm supposedly related to Bella, but does my blood have to appeal to him as well?! And what if he can read my thoughts!_

The growing sound of footfalls alerted me to the fact that I had to move from my current position if I wanted to appear at least slightly normal to the student body. Opening the door to the office, I was instantly greeted by Mrs Cope.

"Good morning, Miss Darling." She worked her way through, what seemed to be, an unorganised pile of documents before eventually handing me some papers.

"Here's your schedule and a map of the school. Oh and please have your teachers sign this form and return it to me at the end of the day." She then turned her back on me and continued sorting through more papers. She didn't highlight how to get to my classes or wish me good luck. It seemed as though her hostility towards The Chief had carried over onto me. I shrugged and left the office and tried to find Building Three on the badly photocopied map that I had been provided with. My deciphering was interrupted.

"Need any help with that?"

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**Sorry to leave it there... well, not really. ;) **

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**Karry. **


	6. Malice, Misgivings, Mirth and Mike

**_*Sorry if you keep receiving alerts about this chapter.*_**

A/N: I'm so sorry for updating later than usual. I've actually been quite sick. To make up for the late update, I've made this chapter slightly longer than usual.

I'm astounded by the number of people who are reading this story from all corners of the globe! I hope you're enjoying the story, so far.

**_Remember, anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter, mid week! _**

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**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010

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**

**_I must thank my sister for being my alpha Beta when it comes to this story_**.

**

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**Page Turner**

**6. Malice, Misgivings, Mirth and Mike.**

"Need any help with that?" an eager male voice questioned.

Startled, I dropped the collection of papers I was holding and, at that moment, a breeze decided to travel down the hallway, taking my papers with it.

_Crap!_

My first reaction was to run after the papers. I didn't stop to consider how foolish I appeared whilst attempting to stamp papers down to the ground. Although I didn't hear cackles, I couldn't be certain if they actually weren't occurring, as my mind was intently focused on regaining control of the papers. Having to look up, as a paper fluttered by, I noticed that the hallway appeared to be empty.

_You were just being paranoid, again._

I had retrieved all but one of my papers when someone tapped me on the shoulder and held the missing piece of paper in front of my face.

"Looking for this?" It was the same male voice.

I was about to turn around and face "Male Shoulder Tapper" when he appeared in front of me, smiling and now holding the sheet of paper in both hands and under his chin, as if he was showing off a certificate. He was slightly taller than my five foot six inches and so I inclined my neck upwards to meet his gaze. One of his eyebrows was quirked and his blue-grey eyes held amusement. His roundish face and spiked blonde hair hinted at the boy still contained inside the teenager. He wiggled the paper from side to side to try and garner my attention.

"Yes. Thank you. I was looking for that." I reached out, smiling and he handed the paper to me, with recognition now lighting up his eyes.

"With an accent like that, you must be Chief Swan's Niece! Hi, I'm Mike Newton," he stated rather excitedly and extended his hand.

_Of course he would be Mike Newton._

I placed my hand in his slightly sweaty one and shook firmly.

_Was he nervous?_

"Audrey Darling. It's nice to meet you, Mike." I ended the shake and discretely tried to wipe my hand against my messenger bag. Mike kept his gaze fixed on my face.

"Nice to meet you too, Audrey. I'm sorry if I scared you, earlier. It's just you looked like you needed some help, with the way you were turning those papers around," Mike said smoothly, whilst using hand movements to reinforce his words. He fiddled with his bag strap as he waited for my response.

The Mike I knew from the book was a Mike I wanted to avoid, but I did need to find my way to English.

"That's alright. You were right. I did, and do still, need help. I need to find Building Three." He stood up a little taller.

"That's great!" He paused, probably realising how eager he sounded. Containing his enthusiasm, he continued. "I'm heading there, too. Do you have English with Mason?"

I knew I did, but I shuffled through my papers pretending to examine my schedule, so as to try and appear like an ignorant new student.

"Ah… yes, I do," I replied, looking up into Mike's friendly baby face. He showed his dimples.

"Hey, we can be English pals!"He looked at his watch. "And we better get going, English Pal, otherwise we'll be late for class."

_English Pal? I hope that name doesn't stick. _

He started walking and I followed, eventually falling into stride with him. We walked out of the hallway and I had to brave the elements as well as the stares of the student body. I just smiled at anyone who looked.

"I know what it's like being the new kid. I'm not a native; I moved here when I was ten, from California. So, I know what it's like to leave the sun behind, too. I mean, you being from Australia, you must miss the sun…" Mike babbled on, obviously trying to make conversation. I nodded here and there. He led me along a path that wound around what appeared to be a cafeteria.

"Here's the cafeteria. The entrance is just around there," he pointed to the western corner. "Usually the food is ok…" the conversation went to the back of my mind when my eyes met a group of five striking individuals standing by the edge of the small forest that bordered the school. Though they were about a hundred metres away, it was impossible not to notice the Cullens. Standing in a cluster, as they were, made them stand out like a bleach stain on black clothing. They were too clean, too perfect for their surroundings. From my limited vantage point, I could already notice Rosalie's cascading golden locks shaking as she moved her head, Emmett's titanic physique at her back, Jasper's arms encasing the small body of Alice, protectively, and the unmistakeable mane of chestnut being dishevelled by overwrought fingers. Indeed, the only things that marred their façade of perfection (for I knew they weren't flawless) were their furrowed brows and the aggressive nature with which members of the group were communicating. Judging from what I had observed, there appeared to be a disagreement amongst the family and my instincts were telling me that I was the cause of it.

Mindlessly still following Mike's lead, I'd thought I'd remained unnoticed, but I realised this was not the case when the sharp gaze of the smallest Cullen met my own. Alice smiled and stylishly waved at me. I stopped in my tracks.

_Alice Cullen is waving at me?!_

Shell shocked, my returning smile and wave were slightly delayed and, as such, were noticed by the glances of the remaining Cullens, who had since finished glaring at Alice incredulously. I felt like a deer caught in the headlights.

_This is just like my dream…_

"Do you know the Cullens?" Mike's voices' sudden reappearance awoke me from my state.

I faced him and answered honestly, "Ah… no. I only met Alice briefly when I came to enrol on Friday."

"She actually introduced herself to you?" Mike asked, astounded.

I feigned ignorance. "Yes…is that unusual?" I looked back towards the Cullens. They were like a magnet drawing me in.

I saw Edward staring at me intently and with an alarming intensity. Exhaling heavily, as I met his gaze, he turned suddenly and walked briskly towards the car park with Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice left in his wake. Apparently, I had just witnessed the end of the discussion. Mike's voice drifted over my observations.

"Well… yes. The Cullens don't usually speak to anyone else unless they have to. Um… we sort of have to get to class." Mike started shuffling in the direction of a building that wore a sign which consisted of a large black three painted onto a white rectangle. With one last fleeting glance at the Cullens, I followed Mike.

All heads turned my way, including the teacher's as I followed Mike's example and hung my parka on one of the hooks at the entrance of the classroom.

_I miss being just a face in the crowd._

The squeaks my Converse made on the linoleum flooring resonated around the classroom filled with whispers, as I made my way along the aisles and to Mr Mason. He was a rather tall man with thinning hair. He looked at me sympathetically after he inspected and signed my slip and sent me to a seat right at the back of the classroom. As I navigated my way to the back of the classroom, I passed Mike, who…

_Did he seriously just wink at me?!_

As soon as I was seated, I focused intently on reading the papers Mr Mason had presented me with. It was, at least, an action that I could do which limited my ability to see the backward glances of my classmates.

The first lesson of my return to high school was quite pleasant. I wasn't called upon or embarrassed. Surprisingly, there was only one problem I had with English and that was the inclusion of Wuthering Heights on the reading list.

_Apparently, Mavis can implant me into a fictional story, but she can't change an English reading list to suit my likes._

Packing my stationary into my messenger bag, at the end of class, I was unsurprised when a lanky boy with acne stricken skin, messy black hair and glasses turned around and began to introduce himself.

"Hi, I'm Eric Yorkie. You're Audrey, right?" He didn't wait for my response. "You met my Aunt Rhonda the other day at the diner." In need of a breath, Eric paused and finally allowed me to get a word in.

"Yes. It's nice to meet you, Eric." I smiled, but didn't extend my hand, because something told me that Eric's hands would be even sweatier than Mike's.

Thankfully, Eric made no move to shake my hand, either, though he eagerly continued the conversation, "She said you had a cool accent – my aunt. Ah…Where's your next class?"

Before I could answer Eric, Mike made himself known.

"Hey, Eric," he rested his hand on Eric's shoulder and then instantly turned to me, practically dismissing Eric. "You ready to head to your next class, Audrey? Where are we headed?"

I didn't like the fact that Mike was trying to occupy my time between classes or the fact that he had dismissed Eric. I needed to establish some boundaries and do it pronto. I turned to the deflated looking Eric.

"Actually, Mike, Eric was going to show me to my next class, because he said he was heading in the direction of Building Four, but thanks for helping me out this morning." Eric's demeanour suddenly perked up, whilst Mike strained to smooth his shocked expression into a small smile.

He stumbled, "Ah… sure. You're welcome. I'll see you around, Audrey." His bright smile instantly transformed into a tight lipped expression when he acknowledged Eric. "I'll see you at lunch, man."

After Mike had reluctantly departed from the classroom, Eric gazed at me, questioningly.

"How did you know I was heading in the direction of Building Four?"

_Damn it! I'd slipped up. _

Again, as a result of being exposed to the antics of my father, I automatically blurted out, "I'm sickic." Eric's questioning gaze only turned more puzzled.

"Don't you mean _psychic_?" he prodded.

_Fell for it, hook, line and sinker!_

"See, I knew you were going to say that!" His brow furrowed in confusion, before comprehension dawned in his eyes.

"Gosh, that was good!" he chortled. "I better show you the way to your next class," he said through bursts of laughter. Apparently, my little joke had distracted him from my previous slip up.

_Dad would have been proud._

Eric led me back outside and into heavy rain. Raising the hood on my parka to try and keep my hair dry, I followed Eric as he jogged around the cafeteria and into the shelter of the Southern buildings on campus. As we continued to walk along a corridor, Eric spoke up.

"I bet the weather here is very different to the weather you're used to. I mean, you've got a tan!" It was almost as if he couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. To me, my skin wasn't that tanned at all, but then again, in comparison to the inhabitants of Forks, I guess my slightly bronzed skin would constitute a tan.

Deciding not to start a debate about the existence of my tan, I asked, "Does the sky ever escape from the evil clutches of the clouds, here?"

Eric stopped outside a door and reached for the handle.

"Occasionally," he replied with amusement. "This is your room. Hopefully, I'll see you around," and he did sound hopeful as he held the door open for me.

I smiled at him and replied, "Thanks, Eric."

Government was much the same as English and before long, I found myself in Trigonometry. Like he had done to Bella, Mr Varner - a stout, balding, middle aged man - made me introduce myself to the class. Like all the times I'd had to speak to an audience, I was nervous, but I carried myself well and I believe I came across as confident. On conclusion of my introduction, I was sent to sit beside a petite girl with intensely curly brown hair.

_This has to be Jessica._

Once I'd extracted the necessary items for the lesson from my bag, I heard, "Hi. I'm Jessica."

I turned around and faced her, before replying, "It's nice to meet you, Jessica."

The conversation concluded, at that point, as Mr Varner began the lesson. It seemed the class were just beginning to study applying non-right angled trigonometry to solve problems. Whilst the rest of the class took notes, I sat back in my seat and listened to Mr Varner drone on and on.

_Really, could he make it anymore boring?_

"Miss Darling, why don't you come to the board and provide the class with a solution to the problem." Mr Varner's sharp, smug voice interrupted my mind's wanderings. He obviously relished the fact that he'd caught me not paying attention (and I wasn't), as it gave him the opportunity to assert his position of power. He wanted to embarrass me. With his cocky demeanour, it didn't take me long to decide that I'd welcome the opportunity to solve the problem and so, catch him unawares. I surprised him when I replied rather confidently, "Certainly, Sir."

Making my way up to the front of the classroom, I suddenly became aware of the fact that all eyes would be on me.

_With displayed confidence like that, Audrey, you better get this solution right, otherwise you'll never live it down… well, at least for the next 400 pages of your life._

Mr Varner slammed a whiteboard marker into the palm of my hand, when I reached the front, as if daring me to withdraw from the challenge. I met his stare and smiled at him, politely, before facing the class and beginning my explanation of the solution. During my explanation, I chanced a glance at Mr Varner, who was bright red and had his mouth twisted in knots.

"And so… we can now add these angles together to find the bearing of Town B from Town A. Does anyone have any questions?" Wide eyed stares met my own and an awkward silence hung across the room. "Ok, then. May I go back to my seat now, Sir?" I asked an irritated looking Mr Varner.

His replying words were forced, "Yes. Thank you, Miss Darling."

_Mr Varner – nil: Audrey Darling – one._

As I returned back to my seat, the disconcerted looks of the majority of my classmates greeted me. There were a few fleeting smiles. It was as if the class were waiting for Mr Varner to turn on them, because of my actions.

The bell rang as soon as I sat down beside Jessica. Everyone hurriedly copied down the homework in order to exit the classroom more quickly. Jessica didn't acknowledge me before she headed to her next class.

_I guess I'd scared Jessica off. _

I escaped the mathematics classroom and luckily found my way to my chemistry classroom without any assistance, although I was slightly late. I thanked my lucky stars that this was a class filled with seniors, which meant I wouldn't have to endure listening to gossip about the events of the previous lesson, as well as the customary new student gossip. Entering the classroom quietly, I noticed that, surprisingly, there was no teacher in sight. I examined the front desk for any materials. None were there and so I figured that the teacher had not arrived yet. I collided with something as I turned to hang my parka by the door. On closer inspection, I realised that that something was an older male with a head full of white hair. I was fearful that I had, again, irritated a teacher.

"You do know that Physics is down the hall, right?" the older man joked.

Mr Jones, as he'd introduced himself, was anything but annoyed and offered me a welcoming smile.

"You must be Miss Darling. Follow me and I'll show you to your seat."

The class, now having taken note of Mr Jones' and my presence, instantly quieted. Mr Jones led me through rows of lab benches further and further away from the front. Glancing around Mr Jones' figure, I saw the empty seat that I was heading towards and my future lab partner. I nearly stopped in my tracks when I realised who it was.

Emmett Cullen.

Initially intimidated, the only thing that kept me moving was the comical image of my partner's burly frame crammed behind a smaller lab desk and the twinkle that his topaz eyes held as he looked my way.

"It seems that you finally have yourself a lab partner, Mr Cullen." Mr Jones greeted Emmett, gleefully and then ushered me to sit down. I cautiously pulled my chair out and took my seat, offering Emmett a small, but wary smile. I still wasn't sure about what _they_ knew about me and it unnerved me. Emmett's mouth formed the largest closed lipped smile possible. I leant away from Emmett as Mr Jones addressed me.

"You've studied chemistry before, haven't you, Miss Darling?"

Nodding, I replied, "Yes, Sir." Mr Jones looked impressed.

"Excellent. Feel free to participate in class discussions, but don't feel obligated to do so. I realise that this is your first day and it takes some time settling in. Now, do I need to sign something?" After signing my form, Mr Jones headed to the front of the room to start the class.

"I don't bite, you know," a deep, playful voice stated. Shocked at what I had heard, I turned around to make sure that the voice did, in fact, belong to Emmett. He beamed at me, obviously amused at his own joke. I gave him a questioning grin in return.

"Is that so?" I challenged. As I looked into Emmett's face, framed by his short, dark, curly locks, I realised and accepted that he would not harm me. I felt at ease, just like I had done with Alice.

"Yeah, a small guy, like me, couldn't hurt a fly!" He joked. "I believe you met my sister, Alice, the other day. I'm Emmett," he said keeping his hands by his sides.

"I'm Audrey. It's nice to meet you, Emmett," and really, it was. I was surprised when his face drooped from disappointment, in response.

"What? Don't I get a "G'day"?" he whined.

"That's what you're upset about?" I queried. "Seriously?" He nodded, whilst pouting, which was a sight to behold.

"I've always wanted an Australian to say that to me and you're the first one I've ever met…" I interrupted him.

"Emmett, I've never greeted anyone that way before. I…" His pleading look stopped me. My resolve broke. "Oh, alright, but this is the first and last time that you will hear me say this." His face lit up in anticipation. I cleared my throat dramatically, mustering up my thickest Australian accent.

"G'day, Emmett." With that Mr Jones began the lesson and I turned my attention to the front of the class where the words Acids and Bases were written on the board. Someone was prodding my arm and so I tilted my head in the direction of the culprit and raised my eyebrows.

"Yes?" I questioned in a hushed voice. Emmett leaned closer to my ear with a cheeky glint in his eye.

"Thanks, _Darling_," he whispered.

_I don't think I mind that nickname, but I hope he doesn't use it around his wife. I'm not sure she would appreciate the term of endearment. _

When he returned to his previous position, I caught him wink at me in my peripheral vision. I stared straight ahead and shook my head with my mouth upturned in a crooked grin.

Chemistry passed rather quickly, after that. I'd decided that, so far, Mr Jones was a teacher I liked. He was a teacher who treated people with respect and was someone who could _actually_ teach. So, when he asked the class to provide him with a definition for an acid and a base and no one responded, I hesitantly raised my hand. Mr Jones looked surprised, but impressed, when he saw my raised hand.

"Yes, Miss darling," he said eagerly. The whole class were now turned around in their chairs and were staring at me. I swallowed before answering.

"The Bronsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases defines an acid as a proton donor and a base as a proton acceptor. However, the Lewis theory of acids and bases, which is a more general definition, defines acids as lone pair electron acceptors and bases as lone pair electron donors." Mr Jones beamed excitedly.

"An excellent answer, Miss Darling! You know your chemistry! What Miss Darling has just told us is what we will be discussing tomorrow. I'd like you to read the introduction to chapter 6 from your textbook, before then."

Emmett leaned in and whispered, "The rest of the class are so jealous of me right now."

I turned to him, puzzled and asked, "Why?" He grinned.

"Because I have the smart lab partner!"

_As if he needs a smart lab partner!_

The nasal buzzing of the bell signalled the end of class and the beginning of lunch. I was starving, which was proven by the rumbles coming from my stomach.

"Hungry, are we, _Darling_?" It seemed the nickname was sticking.

"Yeah… I'm so hungry, I could eat a bear!" I exclaimed without thinking.

Emmett chuckled to himself and moved to get up out of his chair, "Hmmm… I could, too."

I acted as though I didn't know the hidden meaning behind his comment. "Well, let's go get some lunch, then."

We both moved towards the door and I felt like a midget in the shadow of a giant. Entering the hallway, I heard the sound that I didn't want to hear.

"Hey, Audrey," Mike yelled above the crowd and jogged towards me. "Want to walk with me to the cafeteria?" Before I could respond with an excuse of going with Emmett to the cafeteria, the vampire, himself, spoke up, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, partner."

_Wait… That's not what he's supposed to say!_

Emmett smiled at my flat expression before continuing down the hallway.

"Well, shall we go?" Mike queried.

"Actually, Mike, I need to ah… head to the restroom, so I'll meet you in the cafeteria. Is that ok?"

_The restroom truly was the perfect card to pull to escape boys. _

"Sure," Mike beamed. "I'll save you a seat!"

I walked across the corridor and entered the restroom, to give Mike the impression that I was sincere. Stepping inside, I heard the echo of catty voices bouncing off the tiled walls and into the small walkway, where I was stationed.

"I heard that they couldn't prove that she'd planned her parent's murders. They thought she killed them for the money and can you blame them?! Have you seen her car?!"

"I know! I heard that Chief Swan was the only relative of hers that would take her in. All the others were too scared for their lives."

_You are so easily swayed, Jessica._

"From what you've told me about what happened in trigonometry, I'd say she's smart enough to do it undetected, too."

I'd heard enough. I walked back into the, now, relatively empty corridor and followed it outside. I embraced the fresh air and the isolation, as I headed towards the car park and my car. Sitting in the driver's seat, I rested my head against the steering wheel and closed my eyes.

What Jessica and, no doubt, Lauren had said had upset me, but it was not that alone that had driven me to my car and the solace it provided. No. It was the need to escape the environment that had provided me with multitudes of malice, misgivings, mirth and Mike.

I abruptly sat up in my seat when I was startled by tapping on my window. Hand on my chest, I looked out the window that the sound had come from.

There stood Alice Cullen.

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_*Nearly up to 50 reviews... Please, help me reach that small milestone.*_

**I'm sorry there wasn't much Edward in this chapter, but we all know what lesson is on after lunch and hence, what will be in chapter 7. The question is: "Will Edward show up?"**

**What do you think of people's reactions to Audrey? What do you think of Audrey's reactions to people?**

**I have a busy week ahead, so don't be surprised if I update later than usual, again. **

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**Hope you all have a wonderful week,**

**Karry.**


	7. Biology

**_*Sorry if you keep receiving alerts about this chapter.*_**

**_I hope all my readers on the West Coast of America are OK after the recent Earthquake.  
_**

A/N: Firstly, I am so so so so sorry for how long it has taken me to update. I've been swamped with work and university assessments. Please forgive the late update. The good news is that I'm on holidays for a week and so I will try and post the next chapter in a weeks time, or even less. If you want to check for updates, I leave notices on my profile page.

A lot have things have happened since last chapter, but most notably:

The season of Easter has come, so HAPPY EASTER!

The story has reached the 50+ review mark!!! **Thank you to all those who reviewed!**

**_Remember, anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter! _**

**_And if you would like to review and don't want a preview, just tell me at the end of the review._**

**_I really value feedback!  
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**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

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I must thank my Delta Omega Beta - Dad and EP for their help.  


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**Page Turner**

**7. Biology**

_There stood Alice Cullen._

She had positioned herself about two metres away from my car. Her face was filled with concern and her amber irises, that had me transfixed, were brimming with compassion. She offered me a small, closed- lip smile, that failed to reach her, now, glistening eyes. Over the initial shock, I raised the hand that was against my chest and offered a small wave. Alice's eyes lit up from my gesture of recognition. I could see that my acceptance and recognition was the catalyst that she required to initiate her movement back towards the car and towards me. I wound down the car window.

"Hi, Alice," I said, my voice weary, as she gracefully pranced to the window. She didn't have to bend much in order to peer inside my car.

"Hi, Audrey," she replied, her voice melodic. "Please forgive me for startling you, earlier. I just wanted to see if you were ok." With the caring tone of her voice, her porcelain skin and black hair, Alice showed great resemblance to the character of Snow White. Her facial expressions deceived her and showed the eagerness she was attempting to suppress, whilst awaiting my response.

"I'm fine, Alice. I just… I needed to just escape all of _that" – _I motioned with my hands in the direction of the school –_ "_and take a moment to collect myself. It was just a bit of an emotional overload…" I faded off, whilst gazing down at my fidgeting hands. Alice sighed deeply, in what appeared to be frustration.

_Why would Alice be frustrated? _

My thoughts took a new path as my nostrils became overwhelmed by the enticing smell of honeysuckle. I was reminded of happier times – playing card games with my Dad and sisters, going for walks with my Mum… It seemed that each little thing that made up Alice, including her scent, added to her ability to offer comfort. My mouth twitched into a smile, only returning to its previous position when it dawned on me that I would not be reliving those moments in the near future. My face tightened as I tried to hide my pain. I looked back up at Alice and was met with her concerned eyes. She reached her hand through the window, but then hastily rested it on the door frame, as if she almost instinctually moved to touch and console me, but thought better of it.

"I wish I could take away the pain and confusion for you, Audrey," Alice said, sincerely.

_Wait, doesn't Jasper have the ability to do that? _

"I really wish we could help you," Alice continued softly to herself, so much so that I struggled to hear her.

_Perhaps you weren't meant to hear her._

My stomach growled rather loudly in protestation of being left empty for too long. I folded my arms across my lap, in embarrassment. Alice's twinkling bell like laugh filled the air.

"Now, your stomach, I _can_ help!"

Still giggling, Alice inclined her head towards the large black handbag hanging from her right shoulder. Taking her hand that had been resting on the door frame, Alice reached into the bag and returned clasping a packed sandwich. She held the sandwich, encased in a triangular prism plastic package, in front of my face and then dropped it without warning. With no time to think, I mechanically moved my hands and caught the sandwich before it hit my lap. I moved my gaze from the sandwich I now held in my hands to the glittery eyes of Alice. She rested her chin on her forearms which were already placed on the window frame and looked up at me with raised eyebrows.

"Well, aren't you going to eat it?"

I was perplexed as to why Alice would be carrying a sandwich in her handbag.

_Did she foresee me needing something to eat? _

_Contrary to her comment the other day, can she see my future?_

I gave Alice a questioning look before succumbing to the intensity of her stare and opening the packaging. Just before I picked up half of the sandwich, I turned to Alice and nervously bit the inside of my mouth.

"So, do I need to drive up to the next window to pay?" I questioned, jokingly. With Alice handing me food through my car window, I couldn't help but see the similarities between our current actions and a drive thru. Alice played along.

"No, you can pay at this window," Alice said confidently and without hesitation. I hadn't expected that response, but then again, the last few days had been anything but expected and had forced me to learn how to adapt to situations with more ease. I'd smiled at Alice before turning towards my messenger bag, which sat on the passenger seat, and reached into one of its compartments to retrieve my wallet.

"You don't pay with money, though," Alice's words halted my actions and I turned back to her with my hands empty.

_Yes. I've definitely been faced with the unexpected these last few days._

I queried Alice's previous statement with my lowered brow and narrowed eyes.

"Then what do I pay with?" Alice hesitantly met my gaze, looking up from beneath her lashes.

"Friendship?"

Alice's apparent lack of confidence and the nature of her request puzzled me, greatly. In Twilight, Alice had displayed so much confidence when she had met Bella, by running up and kissing her cheek. She knew that they would be friends. The Alice that stood before me was displaying uncertainty.

_She doesn't know how I'm going to respond, does she?_

The idea of Alice asking for friendship, when I suspected she could not see my future, was startling. If she could not see my future, she had no assurance that I would not be a threat to the Cullens way of life or that they would not be a threat to mine. Alice was placing her trust in me and asking me to place my trust in her.

_But what would the rest of the Cullens think? _

_Or is Alice aware that I'm aware of what they are?_

Although Alice's request of friendship left me with many questions, I couldn't even comprehend the idea of denying her, just as I couldn't deny that I slightly feared what my friendship and the inevitable acknowledgment of the Vampire world could mean for my future.

I peered at Alice, quizzically.

"Will I receive any change?"

Alice's eyebrow quirked at my loaded question, but I was unaware if she understood my meaning.

"I'm not sure," there was an underlying sincerity in Alice's tone that I detected amongst her playfulness. "I guess we'll find out in the future."

Large droplets of rain began to splatter against the windscreen of the car and speckle the light blue of Alice's coat. I smiled up at Alice.

"No _friend_ of mine is left out in the rain. Why don't you hop into the car?"

Alice beamed at me as the words escaped my mouth and she quickly disappeared from my sight. I soon discovered her whereabouts in the rear vision mirror. Her eerily silent advance did not match the giddiness displayed on her face and in her movements as she approached the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door. With poise, Alice entered the car and lowered herself into the seat. Positioning her bag on her lap, she closed the door of the car and turned to me, beaming. Our moment was disturbed, yet again, by my empty stomach.

"Audrey, no _friend_ of mine goes hungry. Will you eat the sandwich, please?"

I raised the sandwich to my mouth whilst rolling my eyes and took the largest bite from it that I could muster.

_Chicken and avocado… Nice._

"Is the sandwich ok?" Alice asked.

I made a face as I chewed and Alice looked on uneasily. I gradually formed my mouth into a smile as my chewing lessened and I swallowed.

"It was delicious, Alice."

"You're nearly as bad as Emmett," a disgruntled Alice responded, with a glint in her eye. "Oh well, I'm sure Emmett will give you a taste of your own medicine in chemistry."

I responded between mouthfuls of sandwich.

"So, Emmett told you about his antics in chemistry?" Alice nodded her head, smirking. "Did he also tell you how he left me in the hallway with Mike Newton?"

Alice tilted her head to the side, "I can't imagine why you would be upset about that." I looked at her incredulously and with my mouth filled with sandwich. I can understand why Alice's chirping laugh reverberated around the car. It must have been a comical sight.

"Actually, when Emmett saw Mike enter the cafeteria without you he started to tell me and our siblings about his meeting with you in chemistry. When you hadn't showed up in the cafeteria a few minutes later, I became concerned and came to look for you… and so, here we are!" Alice explained, rather cheerfully.

As I chewed on the last pieces of the sandwich, I queried Alice's motives for wanting to seek me out.

_Why had she been concerned about me?_

With my sandwich now finished, I met Alice's probing eyes and opened my mouth to ask her this, but the warning bell, signalling the end of the lunch period, rang across the car park.

_Saved by the bell…_

"We better get moving, Audrey. What class do you have now?" Alice enquired whilst stepping out from the car.

After stepping out of the car, I automatically replied, "Biology with Banner."

Alice, who had moved alongside me, ceased her movements and met my gaze with wide eyes.

"But, ah, let me check what room I'm in," I blurted out as an excuse to draw my eyes away from Alice's stare.

Before I could fumble my way through my bag and search for my timetable, Alice started walking towards the school, again, and said, "Oh, there's no need for that." I swung my bag back around my shoulder and followed. "My brother, Edward, is in that class. I'll walk you there." She smiled at me, but it wasn't carefree. She picked up her pace.

My heart pounded in my chest from the physical exertion required to keep pace with Alice and from the nerves that resurfaced every time Edward Cullen permeated my thoughts. I knew that a raised pulse would not be ideally suited to a situation where I would, probably, have to sit next to a vampire - particularly a vampire who might find my scent more appealing than others, given the family connection.

_You must calm down, Audrey._

Alice had led me into a hallway down from my chemistry classroom and we were now stationed outside an open door that students were filing into. Students scanned Alice's and my positions, quizzically, before moving through the doorway. Alice's wide gaze moved past me and I followed her line of sight, curious and anxious as to whom or what my eyes would meet. Apart from a few nameless students, there seemed to be nothing that could garner Alice's attention.

_Could she be having a vision?_

I looked intently at Alice. Her brow was furrowed as if she was attempting to solve a difficult puzzle, but, no matter how hard she tried, she could not find a solution. Alice's daze gave me the opportunity I needed to steady my heart and prepare myself for the possibility of Biology with Edward Cullen.

_Is that what Alice was checking – how Edward would react to my presence?_

After a moment, her eyes returned their focus to me. Her face held an element of frustration that she had attempted to mask.

"I'll show you inside your biology classroom, Audrey." Alice instantly made her way over the threshold and my stomach clenched knowing that, in following her, I would probably meet the gaze of stern, topaz eyes. I took a deep breath before crossing the threshold, myself.

Raising my head, I followed Alice's pointed gaze to the well known occupant of the lab bench located in the middle of the classroom. His jaw was set firmly and strands of his bronze hair partially covered his right eye. I watched as he brought his hand to his forehead and brushed his hair back. His gaze flickered from Alice's and once again, today, I found myself lost in depths of gold. Alice turned to me, now smiling, and reached up and embraced me in a hug, without hesitation. The warmness conveyed through her actions was not diminished by her natural body temperature, which was contained within the confines of her coat.

"Have fun in Biology, Audrey and I'll see you after school in the parking lot" - she moved towards the door and lowered her voice, though we both knew it was pointless - "I'll most probably need to apologise for my brother's behaviour." She moved her gaze towards Edward in a warning fashion, before flashing me a smile as she exited the classroom.

I stood motionless, momentarily, before I realised that I had to make my way to the front of the classroom. My hands shook as I moved to hang my parka on one of the hooks by the door. My legs felt unsteady as they propelled me towards the front of the class where Mr. Banner sat looking over some papers. I felt the eyes boring into my back, but there was only the thought of one pair of eyes that made me anxious. Mr. Banner looked up as I reached the edge of his desk. He smiled at me as he introduced himself and signed my slip, before sending me to that one vacant seat with my materials required for the semester. I hesitantly moved down the main aisle. Unfortunately, my downturned gaze could not avoid the wink from Michael Newton.

_I'd forgotten he was in this class, too._

The scuffs on my white converse seemed extremely interesting as I reached the empty chair on the edge of the aisle. I avoided making eye contact with my neighbour as I slid onto my lab stool and placed my books and my materials on the bench in slow and careful movements. I focused my gaze on the textbook Mr. Banner had provided me with and tried to not utilise my peripheral vision and meet the antagonistic glare of the bench's other occupant. Mr. Banner had yet to begin the lesson when a quiet, melodic voice addressed me.

"Hello." He paused. I gradually turned my head to my right and met my neighbour's gaze, startled by the notion of him speaking with me. As I looked up and saw his golden eyes staring into mine, I was instantly mesmerised and I understood how Bella could get lost in them so easily. With my attention garnered, he continued.

"I believe you've met my brother, Emmett and my sister, Alice. I'm Edward Cullen. You must be Audrey."

I took notice of his seating arrangement. His seat was positioned as far away from me as possible and both his hands were gripping the edge of the lab bench with ferocity, so much so, that I could see the taught muscles of his forearms below the rolled up sleeves of his white long sleeved top.

_Obviously, my scent does appeal to him, but is it as appealing as Bella's scent?_

I acted cautiously and responded downwards so as not to breathe directly into Edward's face.

"Yes, I'm Audrey. It's nice to meet you, Edward." Surprisingly, my voice didn't waver and I was able to offer Edward a small smile. He offered me a small smile in return, his flawless complexion barely crinkling.

"The pleasure's all mine, Audrey. I understand you're an excellent lab partner."

_It seemed as though Emmett had informed the whole of the Cullens about our Chemistry rendezvous._

It was hard to look away from Edward's face. With his captivating voice and amber irises, your sole focus was his face.

"I hate to tell you this, but I'll probably be a terrible lab partner. I haven't studied Biology in years, so I'll apologise for my horrible Biology skills in advance." He laughed quietly and charmingly.

"Just so you know I don't accept your apology." Edward smiled crookedly, before looking down and opening his meticulously kept notebook.

I worked hard to draw my eyes away from my confusing and captivating neighbour and eventually, returned my eyes to my pens and notebook as Mr. Banner began his lesson on, what I knew would be, Cellular Anatomy. I opened my notebook and wrote this as the title of the page for today's lesson, before Mr. Banner had even mentioned the words "Cellular Anatomy". It was an action done with no prior thought and I instantly regretted it as I noticed the watchful eyes of Edward scan my page, from the corner of my vision.

He stared at me intently when, moments later, Mr. Banner said, "So today's lesson is all going to be about getting to know cells. Cellular Anatomy is the topic's title." My jaw went tight as Edward continued to peer at me from the corner of his eye and I forced myself to not turn my head, but instead to attentively follow Mr. Banner's lesson and take thorough notes. This was easier said than done. My mind kept drifting to its stored image of my neighbour: his reddish-brown hair falling in every which way; his alabaster skin gleaming under the fluorescents; the deep pools of gold that were his eyes… I could not avert the edges of my gaze to exclude the image of his long, elegant fingers gliding his pen across the page to produce a beautiful script. As I tried to focus on my work, I would notice the small inclines his head would make in my direction, as if he was keeping a curious eye on me.

After completing the last activity of the lesson – copying diagrams of animal and plant cells - rather quickly, I began organising my books so that I could easily place them into my messenger bag.

"How did you know that today's lesson was on Cellular Anatomy?" Edward, who had also completed the diagrams, probed. I continued organising my books and tried with all my might to come up with something other than the truth for I didn't think it was wise for me to delve into the basis of my knowledge.

_There has to be something plausible you could say… Got it!_

I continued organising my books and stationary, not making eye contact and responded, "Mr. Banner was looking over his lesson plans for today when he signed my slip and I caught the title of today's topic from there." I hoped that I had sounded confident. I hoped that I was a better liar than Bella.

I waited patiently for a response, but none came. I needed to gather some knowledge of what he was thinking and so I turned and met his pondering stare. I saw my firm resolve reflected back at me in his pupils.

The bell trilled signalling the end of the class and, with it, the end of Edward's staring. He fluidly collected his books and quickly and gracefully exited the classroom. I exhaled heavily as my eyes traced the path he had taken towards the door.

_That was intense._

I placed my head in my hands, my elbows resting against the desk and gradually combed my fingers back through my unruly hair.

_I had met and spoken with Edward Cullen.

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_

**Does Edward make up for the late update? Or even Alice? I hope so.**

**As always let me know what you think and if you want a preview write me a decent review ( and remember to sign in so I can send you the preview).**

**All the best,**

**Karry.**


	8. Escaping Mike

A/N: Hi, all! Hope everyone is well and happy about the speedier update. I was amazed at how many reviews last chapter received! Please keep the reviews coming.

My traffic function isn't working at the moment so I can't tell how many people are actually reading the story. If you send me a review than I at least know that someone is reading my story.

**_Remember, anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter! _**

**_And if you would like to review and don't want a preview, just tell me at the end of the review._**

**_I really value feedback!  
_**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

**

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I must thank my Dad for his amazing editing skills!

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**

**Page Turner**

**8. Escaping Mike**

Sharp squeaks echoed around the gymnasium as students scurried about trying to prevent the ball from making contact with the floor. I'd never realised how irritating that sound was and that was probably because I was usually one of those contributing to the chorus of squeaks. Instead, today, I found myself observing four volleyball games from my vantage point of the bleachers. Whilst I'd been quite prepared to participate in today's gym class, Coach Clapp had handed me a uniform, told me what was expected in gym class and then exiled me to the bleachers, insisting that there was not ample time for me to dress down _and_ play some volleyball. I'm sure he hadn't realised it, but Coach Clapp provided the physical separation I now craved, mirroring my emotional and mental separation from my classmates. I found myself welcoming my moment of solitude. It gave my mind the chance to reflect, unimpeded, on the awkward meeting in Biology.

_More likely your stupidity in Biology!_

The manner in which Edward had looked at me still made my spine tingle. The way he stared had shouted out that he was suspicious of me and it made me feel uneasy. His amber eyes, never moving from my own, were challenging my answer to his question; they were challenging me to tell the truth. It had taken all of my resolve not to.

_Did he know that I was lying?_

No. He couldn't read my mind. I was almost certain of that. For if he could, he surely would have been eager to question my knowledge of what the Cullens were.

_Surely he would have._

Yet, there was something within me - an innate feeling - that knew that Edward was convinced that my story was fabricated. I'd reviewed the events of the previous lesson, meticulously, leaving no stone unturned; or so I thought.

… _He knew it was fabricated, because he could read Mr. Banner's mind!_

Edward had seen what Mr. Banner had written on those pages… and I hadn't.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Although I had attempted to speak with conviction and had felt like I'd succeeded, it was all in vain if what Mr. Banner had on those pages was anything that didn't mention the words "cellular anatomy".

I huffed out a groan in anger. I was angry at myself. I was angry for being so stupid and so careless. I had known that Edward could read minds and I had known that Edward was quite observant and yet, I'd been so overwhelmed, so nervous, so… _a lot of things _when it came to meeting Edward, that I had neglected to keep my head.

A white circle grew larger and larger as it neared my face and it took me some time to register that a wayward volleyball was flying straight at me. The instant before my vision became engulfed with white my hands shot out in front of me and easily caught the ball. I stared at my spread out hands which had a firm grasp on the panelled leather ball.

_At least I have a firm grasp on something._

Slightly startled, still, I stood, steadied myself, and peaked out from behind the ball. The game closest to me had stopped and the other games were in the process of stopping, as they noticed the stillness and stares of others. Wanting to take the attention away from myself, I firmly threw the ball to Mike as he jogged to the edge of the bleachers, looking concerned. He stumbled back as he caught it. It appeared as though he wasn't expecting that hard a pass.

"You ok there, Audrey?" Mike yelled in my direction, inclining his head upwards.

Whilst his actions were polite and probably done with the best of intentions, Mike's attentiveness was grating on my nerves.

_As soon as Edward had left the Biology classroom, I'd looked up to see my messenger bag being flopped onto the bench top. The golden retriever had stood beaming at me from the aisle. _

"_Here's your bag, Audrey. Was everything ok at lunch? I saw you come in with Alice Cullen. She didn't do anything to you, did she?" Mike had quickly queried. I'd decided it was best to halt any beginnings of gossip in that instant and met Mike's eyes, my face bearing a nonchalant expression._

"_Everything was fine at lunch, Mike. Alice and I just got talking and I lost track of time. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you in the cafeteria." I'd put my books in my messenger bag, slung it across my shoulder and headed towards the door, trying to escape._

"_Where's you next class, Audrey?" _

Even though I'd had to put up with Mike escorting me to gym, I still managed to curve my lips up into a small smile and give Mike the thumbs up.

"Yep. All good, Mike." Mike held the volleyball under his right arm and nodded.

"Good. I was worried that the volleyball had hit you. Hey, listen, after school..." I breathed a sigh of relief as Mike was interrupted.

"Newton, your team is waiting!" Coach Clapp yelled from across the gym. It appeared as though he hadn't seen my near knock to the head. A startled Mike quickly turned around and scurried back, the glares of the annoyed participants of the only ball deprived volleyball game fixed firmly on him.

_I was lucky to keep my head, then!_

My awareness now _spiked_, I realised that I needed to stop berating myself over the biology incident. Instead, I needed to accept the situation as it was and learn to deal with the consequences, one of which was an even more suspicious Edward. There was something about Edward's actions that perplexed me. Edward knew that I was hiding something, but what surprised me was that he hadn't pursued the issue. In his dealings with Bella, he'd pushed her for information. When he'd read the expressions on her face, he'd addressed the emotions that she was feeling. Yet, I had overtly lied and Edward hadn't done anything but question and stare.

_Was that because I was, ironically, better at shielding my lies than Bella, or was it because I did not attract his attention the way Bella had? _

My chest tightened at the thought of me being inconsequential to Edward. I wanted to be of consequence to him. I wanted him to know me.

With my heart pounding against my chest, I was reminded of what I'd wished for back on that train ride home. I'd wished for Edward Cullen to be "that guy". Whether or not he would ever be that, I couldn't neglect the opportunity that I had been provided with – the chance to know Edward Cullen. I wanted to know the wise man behind his youthful exterior. I wanted him to offer me that crooked smile everyday for the rest of my days here.

_But I needed him to trust me… and I need to trust him._

It was time to stop being controlled by fear and anxiety. It was time for me to accept that I was here, in this world of Twilight, and that I had been given an opportunity to interact with the Cullens, so it seemed, in an even greater way than Bella had and in a safer way, too. The current colour of their eyes was a testament to that. The tension that had been present in my shoulders the whole day lessened as I realised what I had to do.

_I have to live my dream and write my story._

Coach Clapp's whistle resounded around the gym, bringing me back to my fictional reality. I watched as teenagers were ushered into change rooms and decided that now was as good a time as any to make a hasty exit.

_Now was as good a time as any to escape Mike._

I hurried down the stairs and began to head for the gym door, keeping an eye out for any signs of blonde hair and blue eyes. I pushed the gym door open and entered the hallway. The muffled voices of droning teachers crept into the hallway from nearby classrooms. I was thankful that classes were still in session. I smiled to myself as I comfortably walked along the corridor and headed in the direction of the office, so that I could hand in my slip and then wait for Alice in my car.

_A student free journey would be wonderful!_

I navigated my way through the empty hallways, successfully making it to the front office just before the final bell sounded. I was eager to complete the mandatory task Mrs. Cope had given me of handing in my signed form and scurry out to the parking lot.

The glass door of the office allowed me to observe Mrs. Cope chatting away on the phone before I entered. On entering, I acquired Mrs. Cope's attention by pretending to cough. She cast an aggravated look in my direction, whilst resting the phone between her ear and shoulder, raising her eyebrows as if to say, "What do you want?" I removed the form with my teacher's signatures on it from my bag and emphasised it by holding it up and then placing it on the desk in front of her with two hands. Her responding nod was all I required in order to make my hasty exit. I still hadn't heard any students flooding the halls.

As soon as I opened the glass door, I turned to my left, as I prepared to close the door without letting it slam. My eyes were met with the image of Edward Cullen leaning against the hallway wall, his head turned in my direction. I gasped in shock and brought my free hand, the one not holding the door, to my chest.

_What was he doing here? Was he here to try and move out of my Biology class?_

He stood up straight and turned his body to face mine. My shock insured that I kept my current position. For the first time, I took in how tall he was. Whilst he was not as tall as Emmett, his height helped to assert his commanding presence.

"I'm sorry if I scared you." The fact that Edward was speaking to me only shocked me more, but it awoke something deep within me. I knew that I had to respond to him.

"That's ok. Umm… should I hold the door open for you?" Never breaking from his gaze, I inclined my head towards the open door. A feeling of awkwardness permeated the air.

"No. That's not necessary. I don't have any business in the office," Edward replied, raising an open hand and somewhat moving forward, before closing his hand tightly and resting it by his side again. It appeared as though he was still fighting against the appeal of my scent.

Now I truly was perplexed. I gently closed the door, tearing my eyes away from Edward's. A few students (none of which had golden hair or blue eyes) moved past us with puzzled expressions, before quickly heading out towards the car park. My own puzzled expression was reflected back at me from the door's glass.

_What was Edward doing by the office if he had no intention of switching classes?_

"Then, may I ask why you are waiting in the hallway?" I turned back suddenly and conveyed my confusion through my lowered brow and tone. The topaz of Edward's eyes changed. He inclined his mouth into a smug grin.

"You may ask." I dropped my shoulders and rolled my eyes.

_I'd been asking for that one._

Edward's chest shook with silent laughter. I folded my arms across my chest and shook my head.

_I could not understand him!_

Edward made no intention of explaining why he was in the hallway, so I reluctantly asked, "Why are you waiting in the hallway?"

Edward's body stilled on hearing my voice and his face took on a more serious expression.

"I was waiting here so that I could escort you to your car."

I blinked my eyes a few times in bewilderment before blurting out, "Why?"

_Did Edward have an interest in me?!_

Edward seemed to think about his answer before responding.

"Alice warned me that Michael Newton had been bothering you. I thought my presence may be useful in deterring him from approaching you." I was so absorbed in listening to the melodic subtleties of his voice that I almost didn't grasp what he was saying.

I swallowed before responding. "Is that so?" It was obvious that he was using information he had gathered from the use of his gift to mask his true motives for waiting. I knew that that was not his true reason for being here and so I conspired to find out what his real intentions were. I inclined my head to the side and looked up to meet his gaze, my eyes challenging. "Well, as you can see, there is no Mike Newton lurking around and so your presence isn't really needed. Thank you, but I'll be on my way." I smiled audaciously at Edward before walking past him and heading down the hallway towards the exit.

It took longer than I expected for me to hear Edward's footfalls along with my own. It was as if he were thinking over what action to take next. Edward fell into stride with me as I stepped outside of the building and followed the shrub lined pathway towards the car park.

"I have questions," the melodic voice carried itself above the background chatter of surrounding students and car engines.

_Your worries about Edward being suspicious must have been valid. _

I kept my gaze directly in front of me as I kept walking. I didn't want Edward asking me difficult and unanswerable questions. I wasn't so confident in my ability to lie convincingly after the biology incident. I quickened my pace, but, as expected, Edward easily matched it and then quickened his even more; enough for him to move out in front of me and face me whilst walking backwards.

"Is it a habit of yours to lie?" he probed… and I stopped in my place. His eyes held me in place and conveyed to me that he would not let me off so easily this time. His question was his way of saying that he knew I had lied in Biology. He wanted answers.

… _And an answer he shall get!_

I lifted my left cheek, forming my own crooked grin.

"Answering "No" doesn't really give you an answer to your question, now, does it?" I quirked an eyebrow at Edward's engaged stare, before stepping around him and continuing my journey. I thought I heard him say, amusedly, under his breath, "Touché."

"I know that the words "cellular anatomy" did not appear on any of Mr. Banner's pages," Edward said from behind me, his tone definite. Again, I stopped walking. He wanted answers, but there were things, had I not been aware of Edward's circumstances, that I'd want answers to as well. With this in mind, I decided to start asking questions of Edward. I turned around to face him, my tone of voice and facial expressions conveying my challenge.

"And how _do_ you know that, Edward?"

His chiselled jaw line remained set. We stared at each other, both of our resolves firm until a twinkling voice called my name.

"There you are, Audrey!" Alice said as she skipped to my side. "Edward," Alice acknowledged, in a way that felt like she was expressing two things at once. Edward moved forward to stand alongside Alice.

"Alice, we need to head home. Audrey." Edward nodded his head in my direction, acknowledging my presence in a chivalrous manner and in his beautifully tuned voice, before walking away towards the car park. I followed and admired the ease of his movements, but my face still displayed the bewilderment that our interaction had evoked in me.

"Well, I have absolutely no idea what happened in Biology, but I apologise for my brother's actions, nonetheless," Alice trilled from beside me. I inclined my head downwards to meet her face.

"You don't need to apologise, Alice," I tired to assure her.

"Well, I think I do," Alice hastily added. "But enough about that, I want you to meet some people." Alice pulled on the sleeve of my parka, ushering me forward. "Come on!"

_By people did she mean…_

I didn't have time to finish my questioning, before I was met with my answer. Alice had begun to lead me to a certain silver Volvo, where I could see the rest of the Cullens standing. Edward leant against his car, discussing something intensely with Jasper, whose wavy blonde hair was bouncing as he nodded his head, obviously in agreement with whatever Edward was saying. He, like Edward, was wearing a perplexed expression, which transformed to a weary one as he noticed our approach. Rosalie, on the other hand, did not look perplexed at all. On hearing our approach, she twisted out of Emmett's adoring hold and glared in Alice's and my direction. Whether the glare was intended for Alice, me, or both of us, I was unsure, but what I did know was that if looks could kill my body would be lying against the ground right now. While Rose's face was beautiful, even more so than the other vampires before me - with her large, seductive eyes and lips - out of all the Cullens she looked most like a vampire. I was suddenly apprehensive about moving closer to the Volvo. My nerves nearly had me frozen in place. If not for Emmett's smile, Alice would have been dragging me along. Alice appeared undeterred by her family's response and smiled excitedly at the group, upon reaching the car. She looked towards Jasper, first, and I followed her gaze.

"Audrey, I'd like to introduce you to Jasper. Jasper," – she said his name with such adoration – "meet Audrey." I stared at Jasper's face, trying to search for any signs of the scars that adorned his body because of his violent past, but it appeared as though they were undetectable with human vision. I smiled up at him.

"It's nice to meet you, Jasper."

Jasper offered me a small smile, before hesitantly responding, "Likewise, Audrey." His voice, whilst it appeared to come out slightly strained, still beared remnants of his Southern origins, but perhaps I only recognised them because I knew to listen for them. It appeared as though that was all the conversation I was to get out of Jasper.

_Maybe my scent is appealing to him, too._

I then followed Alice's gaze to Rosalie's intimidating face. It was intimidating both because of the beauty it possessed and because of the firm, tight-lipped glare that it currently bore. The ferocity portrayed in her glare was truly terrifying.

"Audrey, this is my sister, Rosalie. Rosalie, this is my new friend, Audrey." Rosalie looked my way, briefly, her eyes displaying a coldness that was not reinforced by their colour. She then looked to Alice.

"Alice, we need to go home." The tone of her voice suggested finality. Rosalie, then, moved to enter the car. I don't know what came over me, but it went against the grain for me to let someone treat me so rudely, even if I'd prepared myself for it. I didn't appreciate being snubbed and I conveyed this to Rosalie using polite words and a firm tone.

"It was nice meeting you, too, Rosalie." She halted her movements, momentarily, as if contemplating whether to respond or not, before taking her seat in the car and shutting the door. I glanced at Edward and caught him staring at me wide eyed. Although his mouth was set in a firm line, his eyes could not mask his smile. He looked down when he noticed my eyes glancing in his direction.

_He looked so good with happy eyes._

Emmett waved at me before entering the front passenger side and taking his seat in the car to give his wife company. I inclined my head downwards towards Alice.

"Alice, I think I should let you guys go home."

Jasper, most probably wanting to escape my scent, nodded in my direction and then took his seat in the back of the vehicle. Edward gave me a fleeting last glance before swiftly taking his place in the driver's seat.

Alice spoke apologetically, "I'm sorry about that, Audrey. I…" I interrupted her.

"Alice, it's ok. I understand. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" I asked smiling.

Alice's returning smile was one for the record books. She ran up to me and reproduced the hug that she had given me before my Biology class.

"Absolutely, Audrey! I'll talk to you tomorrow."

With that, Alice fluttered away and entered the car and I started heading towards mine. I glanced back to see the driver of the silver Volvo with his eyes fixed firmly on me as he manoeuvred the car out of the parking lot. My pulse, which had been racing through my entire meeting with the Cullens, began to slow. As I entered my car, it dawned on me that I had never once felt like my emotions were suppressed or manipulated, even when I was around Jasper, only a moment ago.

_Were all the Cullens' gifts ineffective on me?_

As I started the car and moved out of the parking lot, I noticed Mike waving at me in the rear vision mirror.

_I was grateful that I had escaped him this afternoon! Though, it's probably going to be another game of cat and mouse tomorrow. _

I was also grateful for my time with the Cullens, no matter how intense or nerve wracking it had been. I didn't know what tomorrow would bring, or the rest of my days in Forks, but I knew that I was not following Bella's path. I was writing my own story.

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**Did you like the Edward/Audrey moment? I loved writing it!**

**My next update may not be for another two weeks because of uni assignments. I will try and update in a weeks time, but don't count on it.**

_**What I'd really love is to break the 100 review mark (with decent lengthed reviews). Can you help me reach my goal?**_

**As always let me know what you think and if you want a preview write me a decent review ( and remember to sign in so I can send you the preview).**

**I hope the next week or two are good to you and your family,**

**Karry.**


	9. Missing Pieces

Sorry If you keep receiving alerts about the chapter. I've been fixing up grammatical errors.

A/N: Hi, all! Sorry about how long it has taken me to update, once again, but I've tried to make up for it with a longer chapter. You can put the blame for the time period between updates on my university lecturers for setting too many assignments.

I was amazed at how many reviews last chapter received! Please keep the reviews coming. The story is soooo close to the 100 review mark!

I love that so many people from so many different countries are reading this story. Thank you for reading!

**_Remember, anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter! _**

**_And if you would like to review and don't want a preview, just tell me at the end of the review._**

**_I really value feedback!  
_**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

**

* * *

I must thank my Dad for his amazing editing skills!

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**

**Page Turner**

**9. Missing Pieces**

Large watery droplets pummelled, but no longer penetrated, the saturated ground. Instead, they accumulated into large puddles, dispersed across the overly green landscape, and reflected back the perfect image of greyness that was the cloud covered sky.

_No… The weather was not responsible for the Cullens' absence, today. _

I sat, staring out of the rain speckled window of my Chemistry laboratory, my own dampened spirits mirrored by the surrounding scene. Drops trickled down the pane of glass following invisible valleys towards the base of the window and distorted the image of the bordering forest. Branches of coniferous trees hung heavily as more water droplets descended and clung onto their foliage. My shoulders were slumped heavily from the weight of my disappointment.

_Had my perception of the events of the previous day been distorted?_

I'd come to school, this morning, ready to embrace more of my time with the Cullens. Turning off Spartan Avenue and into the school parking lot, my eyes eagerly scanned the area for any sign of the, now, familiar silver Volvo.

It hadn't been there.

I'd glanced around in search of any other new vehicles, but all my eyes met were vacant spaces and well used cars.

I'd remained in my car, deciding on waiting for the Cullens, who were probably just running late. After all, my eagerness to see Alice and the rest of the Cullens, again, had led to me arriving at the school earlier than I had the previous morning.

_Yes… They're just running late, Audrey._

More and more cars had begun to fill their reserved spaces in the parking lot, like pieces being placed in a puzzle, but the puzzle was not completed when the sound of the school bell met my ears. There was a very noticeable piece missing. Making my way towards English, I'd pondered where that missing piece was and hoped that I would find it during the course of the day.

I glanced around the chemistry lab, still hoping to catch a glimpse of a large figure, squeezing his way into the classroom. All seats were now filled, bar the one next to me.

_No… He's not coming, Audrey. None of them are._

Mr. Jones had yet to arrive and so students chatted amongst themselves, some occasionally glancing towards the back of the classroom, unafraid to look my way now that the view was not impeded by the intimidating figure of Emmett Cullen. Turning my head away from enquiring eyes, I returned my gaze to the window and the view it provided of the torrents of water. It was raining cats and dogs out there.

_Speaking of dogs…_

My own golden retriever, Mike Newtown, had, once again, been very attentive. He'd caught up with me on my way to English. He'd continued to talk as he walked along beside me, obviously blind to the disinterest I was showing him through my randomly placed nods and sounds of agreement. Like yesterday, Mike's voice had faded off into the background as I'd scanned my surroundings for any sign of alabaster skin. Mike's over attentiveness was subordinate compared with the question that had plagued my mind.

_When were the Cullens going to arrive?_

My chest had tightened; my body unable to deny what my mind could pretend to do.

The school day had worn on, much like the previous, with the exception of Mr. Varner not calling on me in Trigonometry. Recalling yesterday's Trigonometry moment, as I'd walked towards Chemistry, had triggered the smallest surge of satisfaction in a day beleaguered with displeasure.

Sitting here, in Chemistry, now, and finally having come to an acceptance of the Cullens' absence, I found myself wanting to be alone. If I couldn't have the Cullens' company then I wanted no one else's.

_How masochistic of me._

Above all else, my mind had trouble comprehending why Alice would have said, _"Absolutely, Audrey! I'll talk to you tomorrow"__**, **_if she had foreseen that she wouldn't be at school.

_Maybe she didn't know that they wouldn't be here today. Maybe decisions hadn't been made. Could Rosalie and the other Cullens have become suspicious and decided that it was necessary for the family to move on? _

Alice had spoken with such sincerity, upon our farewell, that I'd gone back to my new place of residence, that afternoon, with joy and hope resonating in my every movement.

* * *

Whilst Alice's actions had instigated my mood, my mind had kept reverting back to images of intensely golden eyes staring at me and light dancing off every-which-way bronze hair, images that had made my spine tingle as I'd gone about making dinner. Later that evening, as I'd placed the plate of salmon lasagne and green salad before a ravenous Charlie, he subjected me to an inquisitive gaze. Having taken my place at the table next to him, I'd started digging into my lasagne before noticing that the typical metal on ceramic sound, that usually indicated that someone was eating, was not being produced by my neighbour. I'd rested my cutlery on my plate before meeting Charlie's eyes, which were firmly fixed on mine.

"Do I have lasagne on my face?" I'd asked Charlie, whilst feeling the sides of my mouth, perplexed as to why he was staring at me intently with a glint in his eyes. He'd chuckled before responding and picking up his fork.

"No, Dree. You don't have lasagne on your face." He'd shaken his head amusedly, whilst lowering it and consuming a mouthful of lasagne. When he looked up at me again, I questioned him with my eyes. Something was amusing my Uncle Chuck - that much had been evident since he'd walked through the front door after work - and I'd been dying to find out what it was.

Upon swallowing, Charlie quirkily raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"How was your first day at school?" he'd queried, in a knowing tone, and then inclined his fork towards his plate. "This is delicious, by the way." I smiled at his compliment, which he noticed before he returned to his meal.

"School was good," I'd said hesitantly, unsure of where this was leading, before resuming my eating. I looked up to see Charlie wearing an expression that eagerly encouraged me to continue. When I didn't respond, Charlie nodded his head and offered a sly smile.

"I went and saw Jerry after school finished." Charlie had paused deliberately, as if he were providing me with an opportunity to respond to a none-too-subtle hint.

_Were these the tactics he used to interrogate suspects?_

I swallowed a mouthful of salad before responding, "Oh… Was there more vandalism at the school?"

"No, I was just following up on the last report," he said seriously. Then, Charlie's voice took on a mischievous tone, once again. "He said that you made quite the impression on some of your teachers."

I delayed my response by taking a drink of my water.

"All good impressions, I hope." I feigned ignorance. An image of Mr. Varner's face, emblazoned red, flashed before my eyes. I struggled to suppress a grin. Charlie scoffed incredulously.

"You know, very well, that they weren't, young lady!"

I sunk down in my chair and peered up at Charlie from under my lashes. He was silently shaking with… laughter?

"I'm just glad that it was my niece that showed John Varner up! Well done, Dree!"

_Well, that had been unexpected._

"Thanks, Uncle Chuck. Would you like to explain that, out of interest?"

Charlie pondered my request for a moment, scrunching up the left side of his face, before eventually answering, "Alright."

I slightly shifted my body around in my seat and stared at Charlie, my face alight with interest.

"Believe it or not, Dree, but Varner taught me when I was at high school." Charlie made a clicking noise with his mouth, evidence of his thoughts on how to phrase his story. "Yes, he didn't like me much, did John Varner. Picked on me religiously right from word go… always called me up to the board to do the tough questions. Consequently, I ended up hating math." Charlie fiddled with the food on his plate.

_He's keeping me in suspense on purpose!_

"So did you ever find out why Mr. Varner targeted you?" I asked, frustrated when Charlie didn't continue.

"I did, actually." Charlie looked away, raising his eyebrows and grinning to himself. "Apparently, your mother turned him down when he asked her out in college. I, being the easy-to-target younger brother, beared the brunt of his festering anger," Charlie chuckled.

_Apparently, he'd thought he could easily target the grieving daughter, too!_

"I should have warned you that he might pick on you, too… but it seems that John Varner was the one who needed warning!" Charlie's laughter filled the room. I ducked my head, slightly embarrassed and moved the food on my plate around.

Charlie's laughter gradually died down and he then continued enquiring after my day.

"So, did you manage to make any friends after your math stunt? You seemed pretty happy and relaxed this afternoon."

_So my mood had been noticeable. _

I answered whilst Charlie continued to consume his lasagne.

"I scared a few people from my maths class away, but I made friends with Alice Cullen. She introduced me to her family." Charlie's face had lit up when I'd mentioned the Cullens. I knew that in Twilight, Charlie had greatly admired Dr. Cullen and his family, but I felt that I needed assurance of his views, given that my Twilight was, already, vastly different to Bella's. "Do you know the Cullens, Uncle Chuck?"

Charlie nodded whilst his mouth was full and eventually answered after taking a sip of his water.

"Yeah, I know them. I'm glad you made friends with Dr. Cullen's kids, Dree. From what I've seen of them, they're very polite and well behaved…haven't had a problem with any of them. It doesn't surprise me, though. Dr. Cullen is a great man." It was obvious that Charlie greatly respected Carlisle.

Charlie looked off into the distance as if trying to recall something. He ran his left hand over his chin. "You said you made friends with _Alice_ Cullen, did you, Dree?"

I nodded, "Yep", and then had another fork-full of lasagne.

"Is she the tall, blonde one of the two girls?" Charlie queried.

_Gosh, no! Rosalie, be my friend?! Not after the reception I received, today._

I shook my head whilst swallowing and then answered, "No. She's the shorter one with spiky, black hair."

Charlie looked at me, pleased.

"I'm glad that you're making friends here, Dree." He looked down at his place, but met my gaze again, soon after, as if having an epiphany. "You should invite this Alice over, tomorrow afternoon. Get to know one another a bit more outside of school. Besides, I want to meet the girl, too!"

I laughed. "Alright, Uncle Chuck. I'll invite her over tomorrow afternoon."

* * *

I'd been so excited at the prospect of spending more time with Alice… and the others… and _him_, but my perceptions of yesterday's events had obviously been wrong.

I sighed heavily, my eyes still scanning beyond the glass.

_It would be just my luck to enter a fictional book and scare away the characters that I most want to interact with, for the remaining 383 pages of my life here! _

_383 pages left…_

The rain started to ease slightly and I saw Mr. Jones enter the room from the corner of my eye.

_Well, if Emmett's not coming I might as well use all of the desk space available to me._

I moved my open Chemistry textbook over to Emmett's side of the bench. Realising that I'd neglected to extract my pencil case from my bag, I leant down, under the bench, to reach inside my messenger bag.

"Taking up my side of the desk already are we, Darling?"

I sat up quickly, startled by the familiar, deep voice and, in the process, hit my head on the underside of the lab bench.

I grunted out in pain and instinctively moved my hand to massage the crown of my head. My survival instincts kicked in and I made sure to feel for any damage.

_Thank God there's no blood!_

"Audrey, are you alright? I'm sorry for startling you."

I carefully manoeuvred myself out from under the bench, my eyes flickering open and meeting the worried face of Emmett Cullen. My head was throbbing, but the happiness that surged through me, at seeing Emmett's face, suppressed the pain.

"Audrey?" Emmett's voice was laced with concern. I glanced around the classroom. It appeared as though no one had taken notice of my little knock, with most people's eyes wide and focused firmly on the words "Test" and "Next week" etched on the board in Mr. Jones' scrawl. Relieved that I wasn't the centre of attention, I returned my gaze to Emmett and smiled at him letting him know that I was okay.

"I haven't known you long, but I can tell that you're concerned, because you actually called me by my first name," I joked at Emmett. The worry on his face dissolved and I was again the recipient of an Emmett grin.

Emmett pushed my Chemistry textbook over to my side of the bench before whispering, "And, _Darling,_ if you can joke, then I know that you're okay." He winked at me before extracting two pens from his pencil case and handing me one. "We don't want you hurting the poor bench again, now, do we?"

I shook my head and looked at Emmett, dismissively. "Oh, Emmett, you crack me up."

Emmett's booming laugh reverberated around the classroom, causing all heads to turn our way.

"I really did crack you up, didn't I?!"

"Alright, alright, settle down Mr. Cullen." Thankfully, all heads returned to looking towards the front of the class, soon after, as Mr. Jones began his lesson on Bronsted-Lowry Acids and Bases.

Emmett and I diligently listened and copied notes as Mr. Jones spoke about exchanging protons and, whilst looking up at the board, for the briefest of moments I felt that I had seen Rosalie's face peer through the glass of the door. It soon struck me that Emmett was no longer being a constant source of distraction. Whilst, I had only physically become acquainted with him twenty four hours ago, I felt like I knew of his character from my extensive reading of the Twilight series. After Rosalie's interlude, Emmett's demeanour had changed. His behaviour was just so… serious. He never whispered funny remarks into my ear or fiddled with my pencil case as he had done yesterday. When he wasn't intently focused on the lesson, I caught him glancing at me from the corner of his eye, a pondering frown creasing his face. Call it an inkling, if you will, but I was almost certain that I had been a prominent topic of discussion in the Cullen household this morning and that a prominent blonde female had more than a few things to say about my interactions with her family.

_What had Rosalie communicated to Emmett to cause such a dramatic mood shift? _

Near the end of the lesson, my curiosity got the better of me and I broke the strained silence.

"So, where were you guys this morning?" I whispered, as I copied notes from the board. When I'd completed my notes, and Emmett had yet to answer, I turned my gaze upon him. Slight movements of his jaw displayed his uncertainty in how to respond. Eventually, he turned his head around so that he could meet my eyes and offered a small smile, before finally responding.

"We just had some family issues to discuss."

"Anything I can help with?" I quickly replied back, hoping to come across as concerned rather than inquisitive. Emmett's responding chuckle resounded above the trilling tones of the lunch bell and the sounds of chairs scraping against the linoleum floor, as students scurried to the cafeteria.

"Well, actually, a point of contention is where you come from," Emmett said, whilst collecting his books and standing up.

_Was I reading too much into it, or was Emmett subtly hinting at the fact that the Cullens thought that I, too, was of another world?_

After collecting my books and _carefully _reaching down for my bag, I strained my neck upwards to meet Emmett's eyes, an all too innocent and complacent looking grin adorning my face.

"Sydney, Australia, Emmett. I thought you'd have known that."

Emmett raised an eyebrow. I moved towards the exit of the room, soon feeling Emmett's presence at my back.

"You can't have been disagreeing over my… origins all morning, surely?" I was curious as to what had transpired at the Cullens, this morning and the need to find out was encouraging me to question, which was against my better judgement.

_The more questions you ask him, the more questions he could ask you, Audrey._

"…but surely we were, Darling,'' Emmett teased in reply. "You must know that we have nothing better to do than to talk about you."

_Oh! How intriguing…There was definitely a hint of something significant behind the cynicism._

"I am glad that you are beginning to understand my significance," I responded, with a mischievous twinkle in my eye and a voice that dripped with sarcasm.

_Let him stew on that one for a while. Two can play at that game._

I stepped out of the chemistry lab much, much happier than I had been when entering. I stepped out feeling much, much shorter, too, but that was soon changed when I saw the tiny figure of Alice Cullen gracefully meander around students in the hallway, before reaching my side and greeting me with a smile and what I now termed an "Alice hug". Any remnants of my earlier sadness were squeezed out of me.

I chuckled out a, "Hi, Alice."

On stepping back, Alice's expression turned apologetic as she looked up, her topaz eyes meeting mine.

"I'm so sorry that I wasn't here this morning, Audrey. Mike didn't bother you too much, did he?"

"Well…" - I moved my head from side to side and raised my eyebrows – "Yes. But please don't worry about it, Alice," I hastily added. "I'm just glad that you're here now."

Just before she was about to speak, Alice was interrupted by a deep, whinging voice.

"Well, it's nice to know that I'm important!" Emmett lamented.

Alice folded her arms across her chest and leant to her left, in order to look around me and stare impatiently at Emmett. I turned around, following her line of sight. What I saw was comical.

Emmett was leant against the wall of the hallway with his shoulders slumped and pretending to mope. When he saw that he had garnered our attention, he shook his head dismissively and said dramatically, "Oh, don't mind me. You ladies just continue your conversation and leave me standing here feeling excluded."

I looked at Emmett in disbelief and observed, in my peripheral vision, Alice nonchalantly shrug her shoulders and say, "Okay."

Alice swiftly turned to meet my gaze, leaving behind a pouting Emmett. "We'd better head along to the cafeteria, Audrey, before all the good food is taken."

Turning around and now looking down the hallway, my eyes met the pale, stern profile of Rosalie Cullen. She stood at the end of the corridor, her gaze fixed down the connecting hallway.

"Emmett," she summoned, refusing to make eye contact with our small group, her stance resolute.

A moment later, I felt Emmett squeeze past me muttering, "Duty calls". I watched as he continued walking down the corridor and then disappeared around the corner in pursuit of Rosalie, who had fled the scene as soon as she'd realised that she'd accomplished her task.

"I'm sorry for my sister's behaviour, Audrey. Truly, I am."

I turned my attention to Alice whose eyes were still firmly fixed on her sibling's exit path, her spiky, ebony hair barely moving as her head shook from side to side.

"You don't have to apologise, Alice. You have no control over her actions." I said to Alice, sincerely. Alice sighed, meeting my eyes before she started gliding down the hallway.

"Well, are you coming?" she spun around, smiling as she queried.

Whilst I was more than happy to spend my lunch period with Alice, yet again, I didn't like the idea of being the cause of rifts within the Cullen family. I communicated these thoughts to Alice.

Alice grinned and with a hint of eagerness in her tone replied, "My question still remains. Are you coming?"

* * *

Walking besides Alice as we followed the maze of hallways towards the cafeteria, I realised that now was as good a time as any to invite Alice to come home with me after school.

"Alice, I know we haven't known each other that long, but would you like to come over to my place this afternoon?" I'd asked hesitantly, somewhat afraid of rejection.

An Alice-hug was all the answer I had needed, but Alice still responded enthusiastically, "I would love to, Audrey!" Her beaming smile added comfort to my day.

After finally reaching the glass doors of the cafeteria, Alice urged me towards the food collection line, giving me no opportunity to seek out the amber eyes and auburn hair of a certain individual. Although I'd had little time to take in my surroundings, the cafeteria was bigger than I had expected it to be. It was hard to see beyond the bodies of students who were leaving the collection point in groups. In a small way I was grateful of this. If it was difficult for me to see out than it would be difficult for people, namely Mike Newtown, to look in. I informed Alice of this as she handed me a brown, plastic tray.

"Don't worry, Audrey. I'll protect you," Alice smirked at me, her eyes alight with amusement. "Oh, here's the sandwich I gave you yester…"

Alice stopped mid word. Her eyes were wide and appeared to be focused on something in the distance. She wore a perplexed look as she remained immobile.

_She's having a vision._

As I watched Alice's face, closely, the corner of my right eye caught the unique tone of reddish-brown. Moving the reddish-brown into focus, I was able to discern Edward's gaze erratically switching from Alice to me. His brow was furrowed.

_Was Alice having a vision about me? Had I been wrong in assuming that she couldn't see my future?_

Edward's puzzled, golden gaze met my own with such alarming intensity that my heart rate increased.

"Audrey, would you like the same sandwich that I gave you yesterday?" Alice's voice startled me and summoned me to look her way. Alice was holding the sandwich in her hand, her smiling face awaiting a response and displaying no evidence of any vision.

"Yeah, that's fine, Alice," I responded, automatically, before quickly glancing back in Edward's direction. Only the back of his head was visible, now, moving as he conversed with a hidden figure that was most probably Jasper.

As I unconsciously followed Alice's path one question plagued my thoughts:

_What had Alice seen?_

_

* * *

_

_**What do you think Alice saw? What was Emmett hinting at? Let me know what you think.**_

**My next update won't be for another two weeks because of uni assignments. :(  
**

_**I've decided that when the story reaches the 250 decent length review mark, I will post a previous chapter, separately, and make it from Edward's POV. How does that sound?  
**_

**As always let me know what you think and if you want a preview write me a decent review ( and remember to sign in so I can send you the preview).**

**I hope you have a wonderful next two weeks,  
**

**Karry.**


	10. Trust

A/N:University commitments definitely played a role in delaying this one! Hope you find that this chapter was worth the wait!

I was encouraged by the number of reviews I received last chapter. 25 reviews! There were also a lot of new readers (It seems I have a large group of German readers - why don't you review?). If you are a new reader, welcome, and I'd love to hear from you!

**I've decided that when I reach the 250 review mark I will write some of the events from previous chapters from Edward's Point of View.** So if you want to know what is going on in Edward's mind, review and encourage others to review!

**_Remember, anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter! _**

**_And if you would like to review and don't want a preview, just tell me at the end of the review._**

**_I really value feedback!  
_**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

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I must thank my Dad for his amazing editing skills!

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**

**Page Turner**

**10. Trust**

It felt like I was carrying much more than just a lunch tray as I mindlessly followed Alice's route across the cafeteria. My head was heavy, filled to the brim hypothesising what Alice could have seen.

_Why had Edward stared at me with such intensity and why had he seemed so perplexed? Did the others' abilities work on me now that Alice's had? Why was Alice, now, more… distant? _

Whilst she had continued filling up our lunch trays, with a smile adorning her face, Alice's eyes didn't carry the same light. I couldn't be certain, but I thought I had detected a sense of disappointment emanating from Alice, following her vision. She seemed as if she was attempting to suppress this disappointment. I was in no position to tell her that she was failing miserably. It was as if she had resolved to appear as though nothing had changed. I knew that something _had _changed and not being in the know was aggravating me.

With my mind adrift searching for answers, I'd failed to notice that the easily identifiable head of spiky, black hair, which I had been following, had ceased moving forwards. Instead, it had drifted to the left and sunk lower as Alice had taken a seat at the table that now stood before me. The sound of rubber being dragged across linoleum drew my attention towards my right where I saw elegant, alabaster fingers resting against the back of a plastic chair that was being pulled away from the table. I sought out the source of those fingers and was captured by the golden gaze of Edward, who was seated in the chair adjacent to the one he held onto. He looked at me expectantly and subtly inclined his line of sight to the chair and then back up to meet my gaze. A feeling of warmth washed over me upon recognising Edward's act of chivalry directed my way. The warmth permeated my being, automatically bringing a small smile to my face.

"Thank you," I said softly, trying to appropriately convey my sense of appreciation. As I placed my tray on the table in front of me and moved to be seated, I felt and heard the chair being pushed in under me.

"You're welcome."

Edward's smooth reply met my ears and I managed to meet his eyes, fleetingly, before his head turned away and his eyes locked with Jasper's – the other occupant of the table – alerting me to their silent communication. Shifting my eyes between Jasper and Edward, I tried to observe anything that would hint at what they were conversing about – twitches of an eyebrow, a sideways glance - but both vampires' faces were masks of stone.

_I'm really, really starting to hate these silent forms of communication…_

"Audrey," Jasper said, acknowledging my presence, after noticing my inquisitive stares, and meeting my eyes.

_Trust the war veteran to notice spying eyes. _

I felt my face heat up having been caught in the act of staring and froze. I saw Edward, from the corners of my eyes, shifting his attention towards his tray and its soon to be crumbled items of food.

_Now is not a good time to be embarrassed, Audrey. Having a red face, whilst sitting at a table surrounded by vampires, is definitely not a good idea._

I swallowed, nervously, brought a smile to my face and nodded in Jasper's direction.

"…Jasper."

Jasper's lips twitched into a slight grin, his eyes never wavering from my own, as if he was searching them for the answer to his many questions. It was quite intimidating.

_Or is he struggling to cope with your current red faced appearance? _

In search of any task that would allow me to look away from the occupants of the table and give my face the time it needed to return to normal, I followed Edward's lead and looked down towards my lunch tray. I opened the packaging that encased my chicken and avocado sandwich.

Alice, who had been strangely uninvolved in any conversation up until this point, chose the moment after I had just taken a bite out of my sandwich to begin asking questions.

"So, Audrey, how are you finding things… you know, living with your Uncle?" Alice looked at me with a smile, but I could tell that her outward appearance was not a true reflection of the feelings she had encased in her small frame. She continued with a sense of hesitancy in her speech and her golden eyes met my gaze. "Are you settling in okay?"

I rested my sandwich back on my tray and raised my hand to indicate to the occupants of the table that I needed to finish my mouthful of food before answering. I'd never felt so awkward eating before. It hadn't crossed my mind, until that point, that my sitting at the Cullens' table brought with it the very real option of consumable food for all occupants of the table. I had the cafeteria food, whilst the Cullens – if they so wished – could have me.

_But you trust them, Audrey. _

I glanced around the table and saw three pairs of golden eyes fixated on me, eagerly awaiting my answer.

_Well, if I'm not their food, then I'm at least their food for thought._

I swallowed as soon as I could and looked towards Alice, whose eyes had never strayed from my face.

"Um… living with Charlie has been… good. We're getting to know each other more each day." I smiled and chuckled quietly as I remembered the whole beef stew scenario. "He puts up with me," I mused and then moved to pick up my sandwich.

"So, you are settling in okay, then?"

My answer to this question was obviously very important to Alice. Deciding that I was not going to be able to eat my sandwich until the questioning had finished, I rested my hands on my lap and looked at Alice's apprehensive face.

"I'm settling in well. It's beginning to feel more and more like my home."

"But you don't regard it as your home, yet?" Edward's unexpected query made me turn my head sharply to my right and meet his concerned eyes. It looked as though he was even startled by his own eagerness.

_Why were they so worried by my answers to these questions?_

I tried to hide my curiosity as I took a deep breath and prepared to hold his gaze and respond.

"They say that home is where the heart is and part of my heart is having a hard time adjusting to my…losses." I paused. "My heart was left with people – people who are no longer apart of this world." My chest ached as I admitted that and I don't know why, but the subtle change in Edward's eyes made me suspect that he was aware of my pain. I continued, tentatively. "But I've realised that, in this world, that there's no place my heart would rather be. So, I guess I do regard it as my home."

I turned my watery eyes towards my tray of food and continued eating my sandwich as the table fell into an awkward silence. It was an uncomfortable silence, one which I knew I had caused. I was about to break it, but Alice beat me to it.

"No plans to go back to Australia, then?"

I looked up in time to see Edward glare at Alice admonishingly, almost as if he were unaware of the purpose of her line of questioning until that moment.

_She must have been blocking him. _

Alice seemed unfazed by Edward's glare and offered me a kind smile, her eyes wide with interest. She wanted an answer to that question, but how was I going to answer her?

"_Well, actually, Alice, I am going back to Australia in about 383 pages time. After all, you're just fictional characters." Yeah… that would go down well!_

While I was contemplating how to respond, the tension between Alice and Edward was palpable. While Edward was hard to read, my speculation that Alice had kept certain things to herself appeared to be on the mark. What was perplexing was why Alice had tried to keep Edward out of her head. In the end, I became so engrossed in Alice and Edward's interaction that I failed to answer the question.

Alice repeated, "Well, do you have plans to go back to Australia?"

_Why was Alice so eager to know? Unless…_

"Why? Do you _see_ me getting up and heading back to Australia?" I asked, quizzically and with a chuckle, in an attempt to abate my question's very serious undertone.

_Had Alice had a vision of me being back in Australia? Was she disappointed, because she thought that I was going to leave?_

I soon realised that I had not hidden my double meaning well enough when all of the Cullens' heads whipped to attention, as though they were very much on guard. Startled and pressured, I knew I needed to make my questions appear as though they had been asked in ignorance, or at least keep them guessing.

"Do I really give the impression that I want to pack up and head back to Sydney?" I asked in a more concerned tone, shifting my gaze from one Cullen to another and finally resting it on Alice, who seemed to be carefully analysing my words for meaning on many levels. For my part, I was hoping that I successfully dodged having to give an answer that could be added to the list of "things that Audrey has lied about" – a list of undoubtedly increasing substance.

"…No, Audrey." Alice's voice was less strained and appeared to have returned to its natural light hearted tone. "Sorry, it's just that I can see that it's been a bit of a struggle fitting in at school and I wanted to get an idea of how you were settling in with Chief Swan before I came over after school." Alice beamed at me as though a great weight had been lifted off her chest and then addressed the inquiring looks of Jasper and Edward.

"Audrey invited me to go home with her after school. I'll ring someone when I'm ready to be picked up," Alice stated. I saw the few remaining items on my tray shake after a sharp crack resounded from beneath the table in Jasper's vicinity. His unintended response indicated his discomfort with Alice's actions. Edward involuntarily showed his frustration with his family as his hand moved to pinch the bridge of his nose. My eyes moved around the table and fell on Jasper, whose face was etched with worry.

"Alice, we have…" he began, with no attempt to conceal his southern twang, but Alice cut him off, placing a soothing hand on the part of his arm that rested on the table.

"It's okay, Jazz. We can do what we had planned for this evening, tomorrow." She gazed up at him, her face offering reassurance. "Don't worry… okay?"

"Alice, if you had something planned, we can organise another afternoon for you to come over," I offered up to Alice, before taking a sip of my juice.

"That might be for the best, Alice," Edward's voice encouraged.

Alice seemed quite determined not to be deterred and piped up, "No, that's fine Audrey. I'd like us to keep our plans for this afternoon." Although she was quite small, Alice was a powerful presence and she asserted herself as she firmly met Edward's eyes.

Edward and Jasper exchanged a glance, neither one looking comfortable with these recent developments. I found it slightly amusing to think that Edward and Jasper didn't trust me, for that's what their apprehension, in regards to Alice's decision to spend the afternoon with me, suggested.

_Or is it because they worry that you know too much? ...At least this time I have some idea of what they're communicating about_.

I reciprocated Alice's smirk. "Alright then, Alice. I'll see you by my car at the end of the day."

Now that the conversation had died down, I took a peek at each vampire's tray of food. Not many items had disappeared from the trays and, thinking about it, I couldn't remember any one of them placing any piece of food anywhere near their mouths.

_They aren't doing a very good job of staying inconspicuous. Could my presence be rattling them?_

I chanced a glance at the rest of the students in the cafeteria. It was obvious that everyone had taken an interest in my appearance at the Cullens' table because everyone was making a conscious effort not to look my way. With their heads bowed, no one's eyes caught mine. Mike had even chosen to face the other way, although surreptitious glances over his shoulder suggested that he had taken a keener interest than his positioning would suggest.

How could the other people in that cafeteria be so unaware of the inhuman qualities that the Cullens' possessed?

"Looking for someone?"

Edward was staring at me, his raised eyebrows partially hidden by stray chestnut locks that had fallen over his eyes. My heart rate quickened.

"No," I said, shaking my head. I smiled at him hoping to receive a crooked grin in return, but was only met with curious eyes.

"I was just taking in my surroundings," I mentioned nonchalantly, before looking down at my now nearly empty lunch tray.

Deciding I could eat no more, I moved to stand up and inquired, "Does anyone else want things putting in the bin?"

Before they could answer, I felt a restraining hand rest on my right arm. A tingle ascended my arm. I turned to see Edward smoothly stand up, his hand not breaking contact with my arm. He offered me a soft smile.

"There's no need for you to get up, Audrey." I didn't miss Jasper's raised eyebrow in Edward's direction or Edward's dismissal of the gesture. I was surprised by Edward's actions and very much liked them. I watched, admiringly, as he collected all the rubbish and trays and moved to take them to the rubbish bin. Following his path, I took notice of where the bin was positioned and who was seated by it. Mike Newton sat only inches away from where Edward now stood discarding our rubbish. Whilst Edward was able to move in that vicinity without drawing the attention of a crowd, I had a feeling that I wouldn't have been so lucky and my appreciation for Edward's actions only grew. The bell tolled as he made his way back to the table.

"I think now would be a good time to head to Biology, Audrey."

Edward inclined his head backwards, indicating Mike and Eric's eyes scanning the room. Edward grabbed my bag as well as his own and acknowledged Alice and Jasper, before moving to the exit.

"See you later," I said to Alice, followed by a, "Bye Jasper," and quickly followed Edward towards the exit.

Eventually falling into step beside Edward in the hallway, I said, "Thanks for saving me from having to deal with Mike, back there. I thought you were using the "deterring Mike thing", yesterday, as an excuse just to be in my presence, but I guess I was wrong." Edward stopped in his tracks, looked down at me and smirked.

"Some people are actually capable of telling the truth," he quipped, before walking across the threshold of the lab. I was so engrossed in our conversation that I had failed to notice we'd reached our destination.

Shaking my head in amusement, I entered the nearly empty lab and walked to the bench I shared with Edward, where my messenger bag was already neatly rested on my seat. Edward was seated on his chair – a chair that was not as far away from my own, today - and was busily removing the necessary utensils from his bag. I did the same before taking my seat and placing my bag at my feet.

"Thank you for carrying my bag," I said softly, whilst opening my book.

"You're welcome," he replied just as softly. His manner shifted as I felt him peer over my shoulder. "No lesson title today?"

As more people began to saunter in the room, I replied to Edward's question in a hushed tone.

"Believe it, _or not_" – I looked his way – "I actually don't know what we're doing today." And I didn't. In Twilight, the lessons that were covered in Biology during Edward's absence were never mentioned. I turned to see Mr. Banner enter the lab, at that moment.

"I thought that you could provide us with a lesson title today, seeing as you somehow knew what were on his papers, yesterday," I said motioning my head towards Mr. Banner, who now stood at his desk. The smug look that had been written across Edward's face didn't diminish as I had expected it to.

"Knowing what's on Mr. Banner's papers doesn't mean that I know the title of the lesson."

_Damn he was good!_

Resigned to the fact that Edward was in good form, I began mindlessly scribbling weird patterns in the back of my notebook. I couldn't push the conversation further, after all, as this would require me to virtually reveal that I knew that Edward was a mind reader and that was a road I did not wish to travel, because the question that I did not want to answer would arise – "How do you know?"

"What are you thinking?"

I automatically smiled upon hearing that distinctive question. It was finally the confirmation I needed to tell me that Edward Cullen could not read my thoughts, but it also meant that I intrigued him. I turned towards the source of the melodic voice and was met with curious golden eyes that almost compelled me to tell the truth.

_Of course they compelled me. Even knowing his powers didn't render one totally immune to their influence._

"Nothing of importance, Edward," I paused and returned to scribbling in my book, my head winning in the war with my heart. When Edward did not persist with his questioning, my curiosity got the better of me.

"What are _you_ thinking?" I placed my pen on the desk and turned around in my seat to face him. His position hadn't changed. His eyes still studied me intensely, as though such a thing would enable him to read my thoughts. He hesitated before answering.

"I'm thinking that it is very frustrating not knowing what you are thinking and what you are going to do next." He ran a hand through his mahogany coloured hair, pushing the loose strands somewhat back into place and faced the front of the classroom.

I sighed, appreciating how hard it was for him to adjust to having a lack of foresight.

"I'm sorry, but I like to keep my thoughts to myself."

I thought I heard him mumble as he stared blankly at the board, "Trust me, I've realised," but I couldn't be certain.

As the final members of the class took their seats, including a disappointed looking Mike, I whispered under my breath, "I do trust you." Having always thought that Edward had little trust in his own strength of mind and character, I took advantage of the opportunity to try and improve his opinion of himself.

Edward's head snapped towards me and he met my gaze determinedly, his voice firm. "I'm not one to be trusted, Audrey. None of us are. It's important for you to know that, despite Alice's friendliness."

"So, I should trust you when you say that you're not one to be trusted?" I bantered, undeterred by Edward's firm tone.

Edward looked away from me, expressing his exasperation and I knew that that was probably the last time Edward would give me any of his attention today. Hesitantly peering across the desk, I saw Edward frustratingly write the words "Cell Division" on the top of his page in his notebook, in his beautiful, elegant script. I didn't hesitate in writing that title in my own notebook, even though Mr. Banner had yet to begin the lesson. I placed my pen on the desk and rested my hands in my lap. Once Mr. Banner had begun the lesson and the scratches of pen on paper could be heard as the remainder of the students copied down the title he had just written on the board, Edward turned to me, inquisitive, most probably noticing the absence of any writing on my part. I saw his eyes dart down to read the title in my notebook and see my hands rested in my lap. Eventually, he met my gaze. I looked into his wide, amber eyes before retrieving my pen and preparing to silently copy notes for the rest of the lesson.

"See, you can be trusted."

He continued to stare at me before giving a considered, yet cryptic, response.

"Yes…but can you..?"

* * *

What do you think the Cullens are thinking? Have any more ideas as to what Alice saw?

_Do you trust me to give you chapter 11 within the next week?_

_**Remember, I've decided that when the story reaches the 250 decent length review mark, I will post a previous chapter, separately, and make it from Edward's POV. How does that sound?  
**_

**As always let me know what you think and if you want a preview write me a decent review ( and remember to sign in so I can send you the preview).**

**All the best,  
**

**Karry.**


	11. Game

A/N: Well we know that I can't be trusted to update quicker, but does Edward feel that Audrey can be trusted? I hope that you enjoy chapter 11!

**Someone pointed out to me that when I edit my chapters and repost them you keep receiving alerts. I'm so sorry about that. I know that it must be annoying to receive five alerts for the same chapter. I'll try to limit my edits. The reason I continually edit is because people notify me of slight mistakes and I myself read through the chapter and pick up on things that I didn't notice through the original editing process. So I want to thank "Guess" for alerting me to the alerts problem - I will try and fix it - but also let you know that I'm a bit of a perfectionist so it will require some restraint on my part not to edit when I notice a mistake.**

Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed. I love hearing from you!**  
**

**I've decided that when I reach the 250 review mark I will write some of the events from previous chapters from Edward's Point of View.** So if you want to know what is going on in Edward's mind, review and encourage others to review!

**_Remember, anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter! _**

**_And if you would like to review and don't want a preview, just tell me at the end of the review._**

**_I really value feedback!  
_**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010

* * *

I must thank my number one editor and my Twilight friend for their help with this chapter.

* * *

  
**

**Page Turner**

**11. Game**

"_See, you can be trusted." _

_He continued to stare at me before giving a considered, yet cryptic, response._

"_Yes…but can you..?"_

It was as I suspected; Edward didn't trust me. Whilst Edward and Jasper's earlier actions had hinted at their lack of trust in me, I hadn't been prepared for Edward's blatant admission that he didn't feel as though he could trust me.

_You weren't prepared for how it would hurt, either._

Edward's curious gaze didn't deviate from my stunned face, an edge of frustration even more distinct now in his topaz eyes.

_He wants you to respond, Audrey… but how to respond?_

Not being able to form a coherent response I acted on my instincts and turned away from Edward to focus on copying the notes Mr. Banner had written on the board. I hoped that this, at least, would alert Edward to how his distrust disappointed me, seeing as he couldn't pluck the words that I wanted to say to him from my head.

"_Damn it, you can trust me!"_

I worked mechanically, mindlessly transcribing notes on chromosomes that seemed to match what I could recall from my own limited Biology education… but I was all too aware of my neighbour and his proximity. My mind kept repeating and analysing the words Edward had spoken, as if they were a mantra. There were moments where I experienced the familiar sensation that made me feel as though I were being watched, but I didn't turn my head in Edward's direction to confirm my assumption. I couldn't risk being captured by those golden orbs, which would only make it harder to refrain from spilling all my secrets.

"Can anyone name the two different types of cell division and tell us what they're used for?" Mr. Banner's voice cut through the scratches of pens on paper and my musings. I watched as he walked out from behind his desk, replaced the lid on his whiteboard marker and began pacing the front of the classroom, his eyes scanning the room for willing respondents. I scanned the room, as well, trying hard to steer clear of Edward's eyes and, when it became apparent that no one was going to volunteer a response, I hesitantly raised my hand. When Mr. Banner noticed my movement his eyes widened and his eyebrows rose.

"Yes, Miss Darling." A curious Mr. Banner's voice carried across the classroom and broke through the silence. All of my classmate's eyes were on me, including the noticeable golden pair that belonged to my neighbour. I was starting to regret my decision to answer the question, even though I was pretty sure that I remembered the answer from my own time at high school.

_Do not stuff this up in front of Edward._

Taking a measured breath, I responded, fixing my eyes on Mr. Banner's face.

"The two types of cell division are mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis is the cell division associated with growth and cell replacement and repair. Meiosis is the cell division associated with sexual reproduction and results in the production of a gamete in animals or spores in other organisms."

There was a slight pause before Mr. Banner spoke that caused me to briefly worry and question if I had mixed up the two types.

_Why did you have to volunteer to answer, Audrey? Stupid, Stup…_

"Thank you, Miss Darling… a very good answer." Mr. Banner smiled and nodded approvingly in my direction and then began to address the rest of the class, informing everyone of the handout that he wanted read and summarised for the remainder of the lesson. I returned my attention to my open notebook, retrieved my pen and began tracing around the outside of the binder holes in the page margin as I waited for the handout to be distributed. It was a task that prevented me from having to meet people's eyes and was something that I always found calming.

I tarnished my page with a large pen line when a worksheet appeared in front of me, held by a hand nearly the same pale colour as the page. Startled, I automatically sought out the source of the hand and turned to my right. I only realised my mistake when two golden eyes found my own. What I saw in those eyes surprised me. They no longer seemed to be judging or analysing. They had somehow softened and even seemed to twinkle, as if I was now the source of some secret amusement.

"It seems you are quite capable of answering questions and answering them extremely well." I gently took the worksheet from Edward and pulled my gaze downwards to begin reading it, intent on avoiding Edward's smug stare. Whilst I could escape Edward's gaze, I could not escape his mellifluous voice.

"Tell me, why are you so keen to answer other people's questions, but disregard mine?"

It might have appeared that I was ignoring Edward, but I couldn't help it. I pointedly disregarded this question, too. I had to smother a laugh. Two could play this game and I thought him just a little too smug. His query had demanded my response. Edward's subsequent sigh and scowl, in the direction of the whiteboard, when he finally registered my not too subtle payback, did not escape my notice.

Carrying out the task Mr. Banner had set; I couldn't help but think of my need for Edward to trust me. As I completed my summary of the worksheet, my earlier conversation with Edward drifted in and out of my thoughts. The response that I had been unable to find for Edward's initial question now took form in my head. I hastily turned to the back of my notebook and attempted to shield my page from Edward as I composed a message. Satisfied with the cursive scribble that the page wore, I tore it from the back of the notebook and folded it in half and moved to quickly collect my utensils and bag, knowing that the bell would ring any minute. As the bell sounded, I smoothly pushed my message across the lab bench –trying to exude confidence - towards Edward, who inclined his head and looked at me curiously, before I hurriedly moved to be the first one to exit the classroom, just as he had done the previous day. I scurried towards the gym.

I didn't glance backwards.

I didn't allow myself to see how he responded to the words I had written.

_**Trust me when I say that I can be trusted. A.D.**_

_Should I have written that? Would he like it?_

My heart pounded against my chest, as I stood in the gym, and I hadn't even participated in any exercise yet.

_I may never participate in an exercise at the rate this is going._

After getting changed or "dressing down", Coach Clapp had split the class into three groups – one for each volleyball court - and had then selected two members from each group to be the captains of each team. Much to my displeasure, Mike had manipulated his way into my group. My only saving grace would be if we were picked on opposing teams.

_If you ever make a team…_

It hadn't been a surprise when Mike approached me and quickly queried about my interactions with the Cullens, as we waited for Coach Clapp to start the lesson.

"Why did you sit with the Cullens at lunch? Didn't you see me?"

I wasn't in a very accommodating mood, so Mike's comment appeared to me as being rather egotistical. Deciding that I'd had enough of Mike's continual attention, I turned to him, my face expressionless.

"No, I did see you. Alice asked me to sit with her and I like _her_ company." Mike's brow raised and his eyes widened.

"So you willingly sat with the Cullens?" Mike asked, in disbelief. I fixed my gaze on him, my resolve firm.

"Yes." I'd turned back to watch the start of the team selection process, leaving a very perplexed Mike in my wake.

Mike was picked, rather quickly, which was both good news and bad news. It meant that I was no longer subjected to his incessant chatter, which was extremely good news. Although, in being one of the first picked, Mike could play a role in the selection of other team members and I could see him trying to encourage his captain to select me for his team. I, being the untested newcomer to both captains, found myself not being selected. Not even a glance was made my way. With plenty of time to wait before I was selected (I knew I'd be picked last) I found myself trying to imagine what Edward thought when he had read my note. Would that crooked grin have graced his face? Would he have scrunched up the note, disgruntled? His mood had been all over the place so I couldn't really be sure. I was sure, however, that I was nervous about his response by the way my pulse had quickened.

"And I guess you're with me…" A tall guy with spiked, brown hair said quite unenthusiastically as he led his team – my team – to the other side of the net. I tagged onto the end of the group and was shocked when I felt someone touch my shoulder.

"Good luck, Audrey. Shame we couldn't be on the same team, but don't worry, I won't hit the ball too hard." Mike smiled as he whispered the last part, before jogging off to his team huddle. I rolled my eyes and continued to make my way towards my side of the net.

"And you can stand at the net to begin with," "brown, spiky hair guy" yelled from the back of the court, from where he was waiting to serve.

"_You" has a name! Then again, I'm referring to someone as "brown, spiky hair guy". Touche!_

I let out a frustrated sigh before taking my position. Through the squares of string that made up the net, I came face to face with Mike. Luckily, the whistle blew, initiating the game, before Mike had the opportunity to utter a word. "Brown, spiky hair guy" served the ball deep into the other side of the court, where, through a series of sets, it made its way to Mike's position. I watched as Mike winked at me before placing a patronising, softly hit ball over the net. I smirked.

_This is going to be fun.

* * *

_

"So, you must have played sport back in Australia?"

"Brown, spiky hair guy", who had introduced himself to me as Tom, and his friend, Justin, were chatting with me as we walked towards the school parking lot, after gym. Apparently, being coordinated and good at sports, when you are a girl, catches the attention of males.

I nodded, before responding to Tom's question.

"Yes. I played soccer for kicks."

I smiled as I said one of my Dad's puns, but my spirits soon fell when I realised that all I currently had were my memories of my Dad. It would be some time before I'd be able to tell him off for using a bad pun, again.

_383 pages…_

Chuckling surrounded me, shaking me out of my saddened state, but it failed to ease the ache in my chest.

"You're cool, Audrey," Justin said and Tom nodded in agreement.

"We'll see you in gym, tomorrow, yeah?" Tom said as we reached the school exit that led to the car park.

I gave them a small smile before responding, "Sure thing." It felt good knowing that I'd talked with some new people and people that I didn't have any preconceived ideas about, since they had not been mentioned in Twilight.

Tom and Justin both waved and then made their way outside and most probably towards their respective vehicles.

"So you did make quite the _impression_ in gym."

My shoulders tensed upon hearing his velvety voice and I'm sure that my heart hammering against my chest did not escape his notice. The inflection in his voice when he said the word "impression" didn't escape my notice. Knowing to what impressions he was referring to, I slowly turned around to meet Edward's amused face with a grin of my own.

"Yes. I believe I left my _mark_… Not that that was my intention," I added, sincerely, transfixed by Edward's calculating eyes. All too soon, his eyes glazed over and I wasn't sure what to make of this sudden change.

"I believe you, Audrey." Edward's tone oozed sincerity and my heart leapt in my chest.

_Has he decided to trust you? Did your note work?_

As I contemplated his words, I could see Edward analysing my response. His golden eyes didn't deviate from my face, but his straight set mouth transformed into his crooked grin.

"Yes. I do believe you, Audrey… I believe that you didn't mean to hit Michael in the eye – that's a hard thing to aim for." Edward paused, straight faced, with the only thing alerting me to his ulterior motive being the twinkle in his eye. "No… I think you were aiming for his chest."

I shook my head, plastering an annoyed expression on my face. I didn't want him to know that his antics slightly amused me.

"This is getting to be a habit of yours - meeting me after school so you can scrutinize my every move of the day," I mused, turning around and heading outside to the already emptying car park. I didn't have to wait to hear Edward come along side me. The bridge between my thoughts and spoken words was lowered when I glanced up at Edward's profile and blurted out, "Why are you so interested in me?"

As Edward registered my intrigued tone, I noticed the slight tightening of his jaw. I continued to walk towards the area of the car park in which my car was parked, eagerly awaiting Edward's response.

"Alice is waiting for you," was Edward's non-committal reply, as he stopped walking, inclining his head in the direction of my Beetle, where Alice stood beaming at me.

_Well, did you really expect him to answer?_

I sighed and gazed up at Edward.

"You owe me an answer."

He brushed strands of his reddish-brown hair backwards, uncovering the full power of his dazzling eyes.

"I'll make a _note_ of it."

The moment was broken with the sound of a bell like voice as it moved closer.

"Edward, are you keeping the hostess from me?"

Edward and I both turned to meet Alice's impatient expression. She had her arms folded across her chest and her head inclined to the side, with her gaze fixed on Edward.

"No, Alice. Edward, kindly, pointed out to me that you were waiting by the car," I spoke up hoping to free Edward from Alice's stare. Edward looked at me, a gleam in his topaz eyes. I offered him a kind smile in return, hoping that such small acts as this would help build his trust in me.

"Okay. Well, if Edward's not holding us back, what are we waiting for? Let's go, Audrey!" Alice exclaimed, eagerly. I chuckled and began fishing my keys out from my bag.

"Have fun, ladies. I _trust_ you'll have fun." Edward nodded in my direction when he said the word that had been the main focus of my thoughts all day – trust.

_Does that mean that he trusts me?_

Whilst I stared at him, questioningly, Alice spoke up.

"Don't worry, Edward. I have no doubt that we will." It seemed like each sentence uttered had some double meaning. "Let's go, Audrey!"

Alice began skipping towards the car. I couldn't help glancing Edward's way before beginning to follow her. Edward's eyes were fixed on me, but quickly disappeared as he began to walk fluidly across the car park. I followed his path and saw his intended destination. The Silver Volvo was almost invisible behind the harsh, glinting stares of those surrounding it. I felt like every step that I made was being watched and cursed by Rosalie, her glare looking the most ominous. Jasper's brow was uneven with concern, his gaze moving from me to the prancing figure of his wife. I had a feeling that the house would be subjected to spying eyes this afternoon. As Edward approached the group around the Volvo, their attention switched from me to him. It seemed as though it was in response to something he said.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love the colour of your car?" Alice called, capturing my attention. Realising that I was keeping her waiting, I clicked the car unlocked and hurried over to the driver's side.

"No, you haven't, but, for some reason, it doesn't surprise me." I smiled at Alice, before inclining my head downwards. "Hop in."

As I took my seat, I realised that I was very nervous about driving Alice to my house. After all, she had superhuman senses. What if I did something wrong? Alice noticed my unrest and lightly touched my shoulder.

"I know that my family hasn't given you the friendliest welcome, but please don't let their actions affect our afternoon together." Alice sighed before continuing. "This is the first time anyone has invited me over to their house, Audrey. It means a lot to me and I'd hate for thoughts of my family's actions to be lingering in our minds the entire afternoon. I want us to have fun together."

Whilst Alice had been wrong in regards to my nervousness, she had brought up another spot of bother to me – her family's opinion of me. As I listened to her concerned voice, I knew that I had to put aside any thoughts of the Cullens' glares and just have fun with Alice. I started the car.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go have some fun!" I caught Alice's beam before I began to reverse the car. Moving through the parking lot, I caught sight of the Silver Volvo already making its way to the exit. Alice noticed my glance and offered a point of distraction.

"So is it true? Did you spike a volleyball at Mike Newton's head?"

The car ride home was filled with giggles as I explained the events of gym to Alice, from the way Mike had tried to play off that he was actually hurt to the way in which more and more people had started introducing themselves to me with each good play. As I finished my tale, I pulled up in front of the white weatherboard house that was now my home. Turning off the ignition and unbuckling my seatbelt, I directed my gaze at Alice.

"Let's go inside, shall we?"

Alice was a bundle of energy and quickly exited the car. By the time I'd collected my bag from the back seat, she was already standing behind me. I could see that she was trying to restrain herself from moving towards the door. Knowing it was mean to make her wait any longer; I locked the car and headed towards the door. I felt Alice at my back, the waves of excitement radiating off her. I paused as I placed the key in the lock to open the door, trying to put a name to how I was feeling.

It felt rather surreal inviting Alice Cullen into Chief Swan's house - _my_ house - in Forks. The enormity of this invitation became apparent to me, only now, as I took hold of the door handle. I was not just inviting Alice into my home; I was inviting Alice to be a part of my life, here, in Forks - however limited that life may be. I was allowing her to see a place that would help her decipher who Audrey Darling actually was and that was unbelievably exciting and unnerving, at the same time. Taking a deep breath, I held the door open for Alice.

I could see Alice looking at all the minor details of the house as soon as she stepped foot in the doorway. She looked around wide eyed before turning back around to meet my gaze, with a smile. Her golden eyes where alight with excitement and interest. I gently closed the door, placed my bag against the wall in the hallway, removed my coat and hung it on the stand beside the door. I looked back down the hallway to find Alice staring intently in the direction of the stairs.

_She must be extremely eager to go up to my room._

I moved towards her and spoke with amusement.

"We can go up to my room, soon, Alice, but in the mean time, can I take your coat?"

Alice didn't turn around. She kept facing the stairs and I became perplexed.

_Was she having another vision?  
_

When she began to remove her coat, I realised that a vision was not the cause of her stare. I moved up along side her and tried to follow her line of sight. She was, indeed, staring in the direction of the stairs, but she wasn't staring up the stairs. It soon became apparent to me that her gaze was fixed on the series of pictures that ran up the side of the stairs. Each of these displayed an image of Bella at various ages.

_She was staring at Bella._

"Yes. Thank you, Audrey."

Alice turned around to hand me her small, pale blue coat, her expression perplexed. I looked down into her golden eyes, surely displaying my own puzzlement. Alice's question only added to my bewilderment.

"Audrey, who is that?

* * *

Why do you think Alice is so interested in Bella's picture? Do you think that Edward trusts, Audrey? Have you ever wanted to hit someone on purpose when playing sport?

I'd love to hear from you.

_**Remember, I've decided that when the story reaches the 250 decent length review mark, I will post a previous chapter, separately, and make it from Edward's POV. How does that sound?  
**_

**As always let me know what you think and if you want a preview write me a decent review ( and remember to sign in so I can send you the preview).**

**I'll update as soon as I can,  
**

**Karry.**


	12. A Picture Paints

A/N: Hi everyone. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I hope that you're happy that I was able to update within a week.

Once again, the number of reviews I received for last chapter was awesome! I can't thank you enough for your kind words. Your reviews encourage me to write faster!

There were also a lot of new readers. If you are a new reader, welcome, and I'd love to hear from you!

We are getting closer and closer to the 250 review mark and that all important EPOV outtake!

**I've decided that when I reach the 250 review mark I will write some of the events from previous chapters from Edward's Point of View.** So if you want to know what is going on in Edward's mind, review and encourage others to review!

**_Remember, anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter! _**

**_And if you would like to review and don't want a preview, just tell me at the end of the review._**

**_I really value feedback!  
_**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

**

* * *

I must thank my Dad for his amazing editing skills!

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**

**Page Turner**

**12. A Picture Paints…**

"_Audrey, who is that?"_

Alice moved her gaze from the images of Bella to meet my eyes, which must surely have betrayed my interest at her reaction. Her golden irises flickered with intent. She made no attempt to hide that she was eager to hear my answer to her question. I attempted to appear unguarded, even though my thoughts were still in overdrive, trying to attain a plausible explanation for Alice's interest in the portraits. My mind couldn't move past the idea that Alice had seen Bella before.

_Had she seen Bella in a vision?_

Whether she'd had this vision upon glancing at Bella's picture, or earlier, before stepping into the house, I wasn't sure, but the only thing that made sense was Alice having seen Bella in a vision. If that were the case, I was desperate to find out what that vision contained. I tried to mask my desperation and attempted to answer Alice in a carefree tone.

"Oh, that's my cousin, Bella." I glanced at the framed pictures, briefly, before smiling at Alice. I continued speaking, feigning a casual air, as I moved to hang Alice's coat near the door. "She's Charlie's daughter, but she lives in Arizona with her mum." Alice's eyes were trained on me as I walked back down the hallway and took my place beside her. The expression on her face - whether she knew it or not - was begging me to continue with my explanation. I turned my head and gazed at, what appeared to be, the newest image of Bella. Wide, chocolate brown eyes seemed to bore into my own, almost as if they shared my secrets.

_The owner of those eyes would be here if you weren't. Does Alice know that?_

Sighing, I admitted, softly, "She would have been living here, now, if circumstances hadn't made it necessary for me to come." I inclined my head back towards Alice and she stared at me, a caring expression adorning her beautiful face.

_You are truly lucky to have known Alice sooner than Bella had in Twilight. _

Offering Alice a small smile, I walked towards the stairs and rested my hand on the banister. I paused at the bottom step and looked to see if Alice was following me. She was stood still in the same position. Her usually perfect brow was furrowed and that familiar glazed over look, which I now knew as the indicator of her having a vision, made her look like an oversized porcelain doll. I waited but two seconds before Alice's features came back to life, but her gaze moved directly back to the images of Bella. I couldn't contain my curiosity.

Chuckling as I said the words, I enquired, "What's so interesting about my cousin, Alice?" Alice's eyes darted towards me at the sound of my voice. She smiled and began gliding towards the stairs, whilst answering my question.

"She just seemed familiar to me." Alice shrugged. "Maybe I've seen her around town? Does she visit your uncle often?" she questioned, finally meeting me at the base of the stairs. I played ignorant to Alice's deception and answered her questions honestly.

"I doubt you would have seen her around town, Alice. From what I understand, Bella and Charlie meet up once a year in the summer and, since Bella's been a teenager, that's happened in California." I began to lead Alice up the stairs, each of my steps causing the floorboards to squeak and break the silence. I was disconcerted from an apparent lack of sound of following footsteps and I found myself having to turn back to make sure that Alice was following me. Alice's sharp reflexes enabled her to prevent colliding with me - as any _human _would have. Her face was inches away from my chest. It appeared as though she had not envisaged my abrupt stop half way up the stairs.

_Are her visions of you selective? Is she actually having visions of you?_

I pushed these thoughts to the back of my mind as Alice giggled at our closeness. Shaking my head at the situation and having absolutely ascertained that I was not leaving Alice behind, I once again began to ascend the stairs and continued my explanation.

"Charlie doesn't get to see her often. I feel bad for Charlie. I hate that me being here is separating Charlie from his daughter."

A light coolness permeated my shirt and reached my arm. Alice's hand resting on my arm had halted my movements, but her words aimed to halt, what she assumed, where my thoughts.

"Don't you dare think of leaving just so your cousin can be with your uncle, Audrey Darling." Alice's eyes were fiery as they met my own. Whilst I'd been witness to Alice's power at work on others, I hadn't been prepared for how intimidating this tiny framed dynamo could be.

_Did my friendship mean that much to Alice, already?_

I tried to placate Alice by resting my arm on her shoulder.

"I haven't thought about it Alice… I'd miss you too much!" Alice visibly relaxed and beamed at my light-hearted admission. "But I have tried to encourage Bella to spend time with Charlie." I ushered Alice up the remainder of the steps. "I've tried to convince her to visit during Spring Break." Stopping in front of my bedroom door, I turned to meet Alice's calm face and shrugged, "Whether she will come or not, I'm not sure."

Alice's face upturned in a smile, most probably fuelled by insight, as I placed my hand on the door handle.

"Somehow, I have a feeling that she will visit, Audrey."

I couldn't help the knowing grin that formed on my face upon hearing Alice's words.

_I think you should trust that feeling._

Not entirely sure how to respond, I twisted the door knob and pushed open the door.

"Welcome to my room," I said, standing aside and gesturing with my arm for Alice to enter. Alice giddily stepped inside and spun around, observing each feature of the space.

I drew in a shaky breath as I considered the possibility that I hadn't placed certain items in concealed places.

_No. No. You did put the book back in the box behind the suitcase in the cupboard. Phew!_

Whilst I trusted Alice, I definitely didn't feel that it was the right time for her to find out about my predicament...

"It's a lovely room, Audrey. The lavender and cream are a beautiful combination…"

I was startled when I heard a gasp come from Alice's direction. She had stopped appraising the room. Her eyes were wide and fixed on a picture that hung on the wall opposite the bed – the picture of my parents. I moved towards Alice with curiosity.

_What is so startling about that picture?_

Alice's face was fixed in a shocked expression as she turned to watch my approach.

"Is everything alright, Alice?"

Once again I was a witness to Alice's uncharacteristic uncertainty. Her head hesitantly nodded towards the image of my parents. Her reply was spoken softly.

"Are they… Are they your parents, Audrey?" Alice fixed her gaze on me awaiting my response. I could see how anxious she was for me to answer, so I didn't keep her waiting.

"Yes, Alice" – I tried to keep my voice strong – "That's my Mum and Dad."

Alice nodded her head at my response, folded her arms across her chest and moved to stand by the window. She gazed out at the bare branches in a pose that suggested deep thought and contemplation. It was almost as if she were involved in a deep conversation.

_Wait a sec…_

I quickly moved to stand behind Alice, expecting to see Jasper and Edward's golden eyes peering back at me, but surprisingly they were nowhere to be _seen_.

_So what was Alice staring at? Or…what was she trying to conceal?_

Alice, becoming aware of my proximity, turned around to face me, all signs of her previous unease gone. The expression on my face must have suggested to Alice that she needed to explain her behaviour.

"Gosh, Audrey, I'm sorry about that… seeing a picture of your parents made me think of my own and how much I miss them." Whilst Alice's tone projected nothing but sincerity, I found it hard to believe her. Alice had been startled by the picture of my parents and I was sure that she had conveyed her revelation to the resident mind reader and her shock to the resident empath, who were, no doubt, positioned somewhere outside. I was pretty certain that Alice had seen something regarding my parents, but I wasn't yet ready to call her out on her lie.

I attempted to nod my head in understanding and responded, "Yes, I've heard that you're adopted. How long has it been for you… since your parents…?" I trailed off expecting Alice to know what I was asking.

Not once, did Alice appear as if she were lying as she replied, "A few years now. I'm lucky that I have Esme and Carlisle." Alice inclined her head to the side so that she could see around my body, obviously eager to avoid this topic of conversation. I followed Alice's line of sight and came face to face with my cupboard door.

_Did you expect her to not notice it?_

I gradually turned back to Alice who now wore an impish grin that was accompanied by gleaming eyes, which I knew were seeking permission.

"Yes, Alice?" I facetiously queried, as I walked backwards towards my cupboard. Alice's grin grew bigger as she skipped forward.

"Audrey, would you be so kind and introduce me to your closet?" She asked sweetly.

Unlike Bella, I had no trepidation in allowing Alice to help me with my fashion choices. In fact, it was something I desired. Knowing that my objects were carefully hidden, I showed no hesitation in opening my cupboard door and stepped aside so that Alice could become acquainted with my very limited wardrobe.

Alice's eyes offered me her thanks before she stepped forward to peruse my clothes. A few shuffling of coat hangers later, Alice was resting her hands on her hips and giving me a questioning stare.

"Where are all your clothes, Audrey? There's hardly enough there to last you the week!" Alice was exaggerating my lack of a functional wardrobe for Fork's climate. However, I was well aware that I needed new clothes, particularly clothes that were equipped to deal with cool, breezy and wet conditions.

"Alice, I'm the first one to admit that I need some new clothes. Most of my clothes aren't warm enough, or lack the water resistance, for a place like Forks," I openly replied.

Alice's eyes immediately lit up and I didn't have to be a psychic to predict the words that Alice spoke next.

"Come shopping with me Saturday, Audrey?" Alice asked and then waited in eagerness for my response. I raised an eyebrow and attempted to appear to be mulling over Alice's offer, even though I'd made my decision long before the offer was made.

_You don't want to appear too eager. _

Having made Alice wait long enough, I gave her a crooked grin.

"Well, I'll have to check with my uncle, but I'd love to go, Alice." As soon as I'd uttered the words, I heard a car pull up outside the house. I tore my gaze away from Alice's joyous face and quickly moved towards the window. The unmistakeable contours and colours of the Cruiser stood out amongst the dull, leafless branches of the tree outside the window.

"It looks like I can check with my uncle, right now," I spoke at the window, fogging up the glass, as Charlie stepped out of the car. I turned back to Alice, grinning. "My uncle must really want to meet you. He's usually home a lot later."

Alice moved up beside me, to take a peek at my uncle. It wasn't lost on me that her breath did not fog up the glass.

_Would an ignorant person have noticed that?_

My thoughts were interrupted by Alice's peaked interest in the window frame.

"Why do you have a stick here, Audrey?"

_To keep you guys out…_

I saw no harm in answering Alice with the truth… just not the whole truth.

"I leave it there for security reasons." Alice raised her brow and I felt the need to explain. "I know it must seem pretty stupid, but there's a tree outside that people could climb up and at least the stick makes it harder for them to open the window." I looked at Alice sheepishly. She eyed me curiously for a moment, seemingly considering the credibility of my words, before the sound of Charlie's voice carried upstairs offering a point of distraction.

"…You up there, Dree?"

I yelled back towards the door, "Yep. Be down in a sec."

Alice giggled at my antics, most probably amused at being in a household in which whispers could not be heard through walls, and began making her way towards the door.

"Well, I better go and make a good first impression."

I shook my head, a wide smile on my face and mimicked Alice's movement.

Alice was a bright light, a source of happiness and comfort and I couldn't imagine anyone not liking her and I knew for a fact that Charlie adored her in the Twilight series and even confided in her when she returned in New Moon. I could see Uncle Chuck developing a fondness for my new friend very easily. I offered Alice assurance as we descended the stairs.

"I have no doubt that you will make a sensational impression. In fact, it is beyond comprehension to imagine anyone not liking you!"

"You are too sweet," Alice cooed.

"Darling by name, darling by nature!" I replied.

Alice shook her head. "You have definitely been spending too much time with Emmett!"

Charlie was disposing of his gun belt when we reached the hallway. Hearing my footfalls, he shifted his gaze towards us and offered a warm smile. As he approached, Charlie extended his hand to Alice.

"You must be Alice Cullen. It's very nice to meet someone who is Audrey's friend."

Alice surprised me when she placed her small hand in Charlie's and replied, "It's very nice to finally meet you, Chief Swan. It seems strange that we haven't met before." Charlie's eyes were bright and you could already see him regarding Alice warmly.

"Well, the only time I really deal with people your age is when I'm telling them off for something, so it doesn't seem strange to me at all that we haven't met. You're a good kid… with extremely cold hands. Is the heating on, Dree?" Charlie removed his gaze from Alice for the first time this afternoon as he addressed me.

"Yes, Uncle Chuck…" Before I could explain that I had put it on as I'd hung up my coat, Alice interrupted.

"Please don't worry, Chief Swan. I'm not cold. I was just touching the window frame upstairs and it must have made my hands cold." Charlie nodded, seemingly accepting Alice's words, and offered me a smile.

He ushered us into the kitchen whilst asking, "How was school?"

_Oh no! Here we go again. He's found out about what happened to Mike._

Alice didn't hesitate in answering, "School was great once I knew that I would be spending the afternoon with Audrey, Chief Swan." Alice smiled in my direction and I returned the gesture. Charlie, having removed a beer from the fridge, looked at Alice approvingly.

_He obviously cares about the friends you are making. _

"And here I am disturbing your time together." Charlie took a sip of his beer before continuing. "You girls go and do… whatever girls do and we can talk some more at dinner."

Alice spoke with an apologetic tone, "Actually, Chief Swan, I can't stay for dinner. Esme has a special family dinner planned for tonight. I'll need to leave in an hour…" Charlie interrupted Alice.

"Say nothing more. That's fine, Alice. You girls just go have your fun." Charlie moved to exit the kitchen, but I placed a hand on his arm as he walked by. I had an important question to ask him.

"Uncle Chuck, would you mind if I went shopping with Alice on Saturday?" My eyes were pleading with him to give his consent. I didn't have to wait long for his reply.

"In Port Angeles?" Charlie's eyes turned to Alice, who nodded in confirmation. Charlie patted my shoulder and replied, "Sure, Dree. Can I go watch the sport report now?"

"I don't know. Should we let him, Alice?" I joked, peering in Alice's direction. Alice giggled at the family dynamics. Charlie shook his head.

"Sure, Uncle Chuck," I said, removing my hand from his arm. "Thank you." Charlie acknowledged the sincerity of my words.

"You're welcome, Dree… now go have some fun, girls!"

Charlie hastily exited the kitchen and moved towards the lounge with a grin. I turned to Alice.

"So, shall we head back up to my room?"

Alice and I spent our short time together sitting on my bed and making plans for Saturday. It was decided that I would drive us to Port Angeles and that we would visit a number of stores that Alice had named and which I couldn't possibly remember. Alice had named each store after we'd written a list of all the items of clothing that I needed to complete my Forks wardrobe. As Alice tried to encourage me to add a little black dress to the list, stating that it was the quintessential item of any woman's wardrobe, someone knocked on the front door.

_I wonder who it is._

"Oh, that will be my ride home," Alice said, bouncing off the bed. I followed suit and was soon engulfed in a hug. "Thank you for a wonderful afternoon, Audrey."

Pulling back from the hug, I replied, "Thank you, Alice, for a wonderful afternoon." We grinned at each other and I was reminded of the mystery guest when I heard the sound of muffled voices coming from downstairs.

_Would Edward be picking Alice up?_

Before I had a chance to look for the Silver Volvo from the window, Alice had already moved towards the door. I, nervously, followed her down the stairs. I tried to prepare myself for the scene that I thought awaited me at the bottom of the stairs – Edward Cullen conversing with Charlie Swan. The sight that greeted me, having followed Alice into the hallway, was unexpected. Standing at the same height as Charlie, with perfectly formed blonde hair, gleaming pale skin and movie star looks was – it just had to be - Carlisle Cullen. He had perfect posture and was dressed in black business pants, a pale blue shirt and deep blue tie, which stood out against the gold of his hair and eyes. It wouldn't surprise me if people purposely injured themselves just so they could be attended to by Dr. Cullen. I gazed with admiration at the wise old vampire – the Patriarch of the Cullen family. It wasn't long before Carlisle's golden eyes found mine and it felt like I was being assessed. Hesitantly, I moved up alongside Alice, as there was a break in Carlisle and Charlie's conversation.

"Carlisle, this is my friend, Audrey. Audrey, this is my father, Carlisle." I registered Alice's voice, but my gaze never deviated from Carlisle's face. Having heard many introductions of late, I automatically extended my hand to Carlisle.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Cullen." I held back a gasp as Carlisle's cold, smooth hand found mine.

_He actually shook my hand… does he suspect that I know what they are?_

"The pleasure is all mine, Audrey. It is wonderful to finally put a face to the person my family cannot stop talking about." Carlisle's voice was remarkably appealing. It was mellow. Feeling all eyes on me, I felt the blood rush to my face.

"So, Dree has caused quite a stir in your household, has she?" Charlie asked rhetorically, with a chuckle. "I'm just glad she made friends with your kids." Charlie rested his hand on my shoulder. Carlisle smiled at Charlie.

"I'm pleased that my children became friends with Audrey." Carlisle turned his gaze on me. "From what I've heard, she seems like a very interesting young lady."

I registered the double meaning of Carlisle's words. Not feeling confident enough to talk, I just smiled. Carlisle turned to Charlie.

"Alice and I must head home, Charlie. Esme will be expecting us and I was told I must not be late. It was nice meeting you, Audrey." Carlisle nodded in my direction and I returned his nod.

"You, too, Dr. Cullen."

"Yes, you wouldn't want to make the wife upset," Charlie smiled knowingly at Carlisle as they walked towards the door. "A man's life is never easy when he's in strife with his wife." Charlie gazed down at Alice with a warm expression. "Hope to see you again, soon, Alice."

"Thank you for inviting me into your home, Chief Swan." Alice smiled at Charlie as she spoke, making his liking for her grow even more, before looking my way. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, Audrey."

As Alice finished replacing her coat, Carlisle's golden eyes met my face, intently.

"From what Alice tells me, Audrey, I'm sure I'll be seeing more of you."

* * *

What's the verdict on Chapter 12?

Why was Alice so shocked at seeing the Picture of Audrey's parents?

Did Alice's behaviour help you piece together what she might have seen?

Did you like Charlie in this chapter?

What did you make of Carlisle picking Alice up?

Are you excited about Audrey and Alice's shopping trip?

Are you watching the Soccer World Cup? Go Australia!

Unfortunately, chapter 13 won't be up for another 2 weeks. I have university exams. As soon as I finish them, though, I will have more time to write!

_**Remember, I've decided that when the story reaches the 250 decent length review mark, I will post a previous chapter, separately, and make it from Edward's POV. How does that sound?  
**_

**As always let me know what you think and if you want a preview write me a decent review ( and remember to sign in so I can send you the preview).**

**All the best,  
**

**Karry.**


	13. Surprises

A/N: Hi everyone. This author's note is quite rushed because I'm waiting to see the midnight screening of Eclipse! I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a very long one!

Once again, the number of reviews I received for last chapter was awesome! I can't thank you enough for your kind words. Your reviews encourage me to write faster!

There were also a lot of new readers. If you are a new reader, welcome, and I'd love to hear from you!

We are getting closer and closer to the 250 review mark and that all important EPOV outtake!

**I've decided that when I reach the 250 review mark I will write some of the events from previous chapters from Edward's Point of View.** So if you want to know what is going on in Edward's mind, review and encourage others to review!

**_Remember, anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter! _**

**_And if you would like to review and don't want a preview, just tell me at the end of the review._**

**_I really value feedback!  
_**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

**

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I must thank my Dad for his amazing editing skills!

* * *

**

**Page Turner**

**Surprises**

"Audrey, what's taking so long?"

I laughed at Alice's impatience.

"Were you the person who coined the phrase 'God grant me patience, but hurry'?" I said, facetiously, as I poked my head out from behind the heavy, black change room curtain. Alice had her arms folded across her chest, shaking her head with a small smile on her face.

"You just love to tease me, don't you, Audrey?" Alice inched closer and closer toward the change room curtain, an evil glint in her eye. "Don't make me come in there."

_And you know that she will come in..._

I, instinctively, tightened my grip on the curtain, even though I knew it would be useless if Alice did decide to push the curtain aside. Not wanting to be seen in just my underwear, I, hastily, stuck my arm out to try and halt Alice's advance and added, "You won't need to come in. I'm putting it on! I'm putting it on! Give me a minute… or two?"

Alice stopped her movements, seemingly contemplating my request. Her golden eyes flickered with amusement, before she raised her right index finger – an action that reinforced her accompanying words.

"I'll give you _one_ minute."

I gave Alice a Cheshire grin, at which she rolled her eyes and retreated back into the small, crowded change room. It wasn't crowded with mountains of clothes to try on, but mountains of plastic bags that were filled to the brim with already purchased clothes and shoes. Every item on the list that Alice and I had made had been purchased and I was very happy with my new wardrobe. Alice had a knack for finding clothes that made me feel comfortable and made me look good. Even without the use of her foresight, Alice managed to find that one and only item in a clothing store that would suit me, although it did take her a number of attempts. Whilst Alice's frustration at not getting clothing choices correct had been obvious initially, it soon became apparent to me that Alice was actually enjoying the element of surprise in this shopping expedition. Although I'd been stuck in change rooms most of the day, I had greatly enjoyed my time spent with Alice, free from the scrutinising gazes of the Forks High students and the rest of the Cullens.

Whilst the Cullens had still kept a watchful eye on my activities at school, there had been an obvious shift in their demeanour since the events of Tuesday. Jasper appeared to smile more with each day, as I took my seat at the Cullens' table, seemingly less wary of my proximity to his wife and, hopefully, more acclimatised to my presence. Emmett was back to his normal jovial self in chemistry, with a few _basic_ puns designed to provoke a _reaction_ as we continued our study of acids and bases. Unfortunately, my time with Emmett continued to be strictly limited to chemistry, as Rosalie swept him away as soon as he exited the classroom. Although, Rosalie remained hostile towards me, I felt as though we had reached a breakthrough on Friday, when she actually acknowledged my presence - even if she did say my name with disdain. To say that I was shocked would have been an understatement. Before I'd had a chance to reply, the blonde haired beauty and her gentle giant had disappeared. What hadn't disappeared, during the remainder of the school week, were Edward's inquisitive questions. Whilst his questions prior to Tuesday had held an air of interrogation, Edward's questions of recent times had softened. He was friendly and would enquire about my day and about how I was settling into American life, but he still seemed resolute on maintaining some distance between us. He seemed reluctant to learn more about me as a person, but I couldn't be sure.

_And I want him to know who Audrey Darling is._

"I don't hear any movement in there, Audrey. Stop stalling the inevitable," Alice trilled from behind the curtain, awaking me from my recollections.

_It seems as though someone knows who Audrey Darling is._

I smiled and fixed my gaze on the contentious item of clothing that was hung before me. I'd attempted, numerous times, to avoid having to try it on, but Alice being Alice had practically ushered me into the changing area and had enlisted the help of the "all too ready to help" shop assistant, Emma. Emma's eyes had bulged out of their sockets when she'd seen the number of bags we were carrying, instantly registering the likely prospect of a sale and she found it quite easy to agree with Alice and helped corral me into the changing area.

"Audrey…"

"Okay, okay, I'm moving!"

Knowing that I would have to face the wrath of Alice if I didn't try it on, I huffed out a lung full of air before removing the little black dress from its coat hanger and slipping it on. The dress was rather fitted and it wasn't an easy task zipping it up. I tentatively glanced at the mirror, prepared to confront an unflattering look, but gasped in surprise when I noticed that the dress hugged all the right places of my curvy figure.

_I look… good._

"Why are you so surprised? I told you that this was your dress." I saw Alice's smug expression reflected back at me in the mirror I was still gaping at, her hands holding the change room curtains to one side. I sighed and turned around to face Alice.

"You were right, but when am I ever going to wear this, Alice?" I queried, honestly, not being able to think of an occasion that would allow me to wear this very flattering dress. Alice looked aghast upon hearing my question.

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear you say that." Alice released the curtain and made her way into the change room. "We've already discussed the merits of the little black dress." Alice paused before asking, "Do you like how you look and feel in the dress, Audrey?"

With Alice's golden eyes imploring me to answer truthfully, it was hard to disguise my clear love for the dress. Alice's cheeks rose into a winning grin, thinking that she had convinced me to purchase the dress.

_You need to stand your ground. Yes, the dress is beautiful, flattering and makes you look stunning… but you will never wear it. No. You shouldn't purchase it… even if it is a bargain buy. Gosh! Even my thoughts sound unconvincing... Stand your ground._

I looked down at Alice, employing my height advantage, and tried to sound as firm and determined as possible.

"I'm not buying the dress, Alice."

…My resistance was futile. Not ten minutes later, I found myself holding yet another shopping bag as Alice and I began heading towards the car, our morning of shopping coming to a close. The money that Charlie had given me for today, which had apparently been from my parents, had come in handy, but most of it never left my purse. Alice was very quick to purchase things before I had the chance to leave the changing room, but after complaining about this a few times, I soon came to accept it.

_Alice is so happy when she hands you the items she has purchased and it's not like the Cullens are poor._

Alice's generosity meant that I had plenty of cash left to purchase the necessary grocery items for tomorrow's Superbowl Supper with Billy and Jacob, once we'd driven back to Forks. Charlie had requested that I make some snacks, but I'd decided to surprise him and our guests with a feast, since I figured that the Seattle Seahawks – the local team – making the Superbowl was an important occasion. Alice was extremely keen to help me with my grocery shopping and seemed very eager to hear about what I planned to cook, as we walked and talked along the shop lined streets of Port Angeles. We chuckled together as I related the story of my first time of cooking for Charlie and my amusement caused me to momentarily loose my grip on one of my bags. Bending over to retrieve it, my eyes caught sight of a music store and I felt an unexpected longing to take a closer look. I'd neglected to think about music since being swept into this world, but seeing the store prompted recollections of the influence of music in my life back home.

"Are you alright, Audrey?"

I smiled and nodded at Alice, realising that my hesitation in standing up must have worried her.

As I straightened myself up, all bags present and accounted for, a lively cell phone ringtone sounded and I wasn't surprised when Alice turned to me, apologetically, and said, "I'm sorry, Audrey, but I have to take this call…"

I stopped her with an acknowledging gesture, realising that Alice was after some privacy. This was my opportunity to go and explore the music store.

"That's fine, Alice. I'll just wait for you in the music store," I said, pointing slightly down the street. Alice nodded as she answered her cell, a knowing smile gracing her face. Whilst I was eager to explore the music store, I was also keen to know why Alice needed to answer her phone and so I took my time and strolled towards the store. Before I reached the store, my ears were privy to the beginning of Alice's conversation.

"Hi, Carlisle… Yes. Definitely sell those shares, now… Yes. That's a good choice…"

_Alice and her psychic financial planning…_

Gazing, at the window of the music store, my no longer callused fingertips itched to enter and touch the glossy instruments that reminded me of home. I pushed my body against the door to open it, my hands occupied with the task of holding bags. My ears picked up the soft tones of rock music emanating from the sound system, but, above this, the strumming of a guitar lured me towards the left of the shop, where a middle aged man was perched on a countertop, guitar in hand. I gazed around the space. The shop was empty of people, excepting the man whom I assumed to be the sale assistant, but it was filled to the brim with drum kits, guitars, keyboards and pianos. The rustle of the plastics bags, as I turned around to take in the space, must have alerted the man to my presence, because I soon heard the tones of the guitar stop and a gruff voice asked, "Can I help you, Miss?"

The man was looking my way with a very welcoming smile. I didn't hesitate in stepping forward, smiling back in return and saying, "I was just wondering if I could have a look around."

The man laughed and hopped off the counter.

"Sure, you can! Do you play?" he said inclining his head towards the guitar.

"Oh, no. Not guitar." I grinned and shook my head. "The only guitar I can play is Guitar Hero!" The man chuckled. "I can play a little bit of piano, though; I haven't played in quite a while." I inclined my head towards the pianos situated at the back of the shop.

_And you haven't touched a Cello in quite a while, but he doesn't need to know that._

The man nodded his head before saying, "Well, feel free to go and play around on the pianos if you want and if you need any help just give me a yell." I nodded and thanked him, just before he turned to answer the ringing phone.

"Port Angeles Music, Ted speaking…"

Ted's voice faded into the background as my eyes glanced over the glossy black and white keys of a Yamaha piano. It had been a while since I'd played a piano. University limited the time I could spend playing, but I always found comfort in listening to my sister produce beautiful music, as she caressed the keys of the baby grand that sat in our lounge. Her music acted as a backing track to my studying and I longed to feel the comfort that the music could bring. I knew that Edward could understand the comfort that music brings. I could imagine his hands gracefully manoeuvring over the keyboard of a grand piano and producing melodies so complex and pure that you could feel his very thoughts as he was playing.

_If only you could hear him play._

Suddenly faced with the realisation that I was lost in a world where I had no one that I could really confide in, I felt as though music could be my source of emotional release. I did something I hadn't done in months. I placed my shopping bags beside the piano, to free my hands, and carefully rested my left hand above the keys. Ted was still talking loudly on the telephone, so I didn't feel nervous about him hearing me play. I softly played the opening base chords to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, as I always loved to do before playing the piece. It felt so good to play again. Without hesitation, I positioned both my hands on the keys to begin playing the rest of the piece, but remained frozen in place when another musical instrument met my ears – the sound of Edward's voice.

"You play."

It wasn't a question, but a statement that was said in awe and something inside of me felt nervous about him knowing this side of me.

_But you wanted him to get to know you._

I gently closed the lid on the piano and turned around hesitantly to meet his deep, golden gaze.

_He hasn't hunted. He must be adjusting to my scent… I like the darker tone of gold._

I tried to still my heart, but to no avail. Edward was simply stunning. He was wearing dark jeans and a deep green turtleneck, which accentuated the reddish tones in his hair. His gaze wasn't deviating from my own, as if he expected me to tell him more about my playing. Wanting to draw the conversation away from myself, I smiled at him and questioned, "Do you play, Edward?"

He seemed to contemplate his response, before briefly nodding his head.

"Yes. I like to play." He smiled and then raised his hand towards to piano. "Please don't let my presence stop you from playing." I hurriedly retrieved my shopping bags, quite keen to get as far away from the piano as possible. I'd always been nervous about letting other people hear me play, but letting Edward hear me play was just too terrifying to consider at the moment.

"No. No. I should be going, anyway… Alice is probably waiting for me outside…"

I trailed off noticing that some of my bags were missing, but on closer inspection, found them situated in Edward's hands.

"Thank you," I said, softly, inclining my head upwards to meet Edward's eyes, which was a huge mistake.

"As a gesture of thanks, will you play for me?" Edward's melodic voice, questioned. Before I could stop myself, I muttered, "Someday."

A crooked grin transformed Edward's face and he looked too satisfied with himself. Realising that I had been "Dazzled", for lack of a better word, I hurriedly moved towards the exit of the store, utterly annoyed with myself. Then it occurred to me.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" I turned my head to my right as Edward had easily fallen into stride with me. Edward appeared taken aback at my question and the annoyed tone in which it was asked. His face held an air of uncertainty and… nervousness.

"Esme asked Jasper and I to run a few errands for her. We ran into Alice outside and I saw you through the window." I turned away from Edward, nodding as I took in his explanation, which I knew to be false. If my face displayed my scepticism, Edward didn't acknowledge it. Ironically, an awkward silence filled the music store.

When we reached the exit, Edward moved to open the door. I took one last fleeting glance of the store before stepping outside. It felt wrong to leave the store – a source of comfort. I didn't register the sound of the door closing, but I soon felt Edward's presence beside me.

"How long have you played the piano, Audrey?"

_Was he trying to get to know me?_

I answered Edward honestly, as we made our way to the two perfect figures of Alice and Jasper who stood down the street.

"I started lessons when I was seven, but I haven't had a lesson in years, Edward. Piano was like most things that I did. I gained reasonable skill in it - enough skill so that I can painstakingly work my way through a piece - before moving on to learn something new… How long have you played, Edward?" I gazed up to meet Edward's face, interested to see how he responded to my question. He responded rather cleverly.

"For as long as I can remember."

"And if I remember correctly, we have some grocery shopping to do. Don't we, Audrey?" Alice said, covering the distance between us. Jasper walked alongside her, holding her hand, clear adoration for his wife, evident on his face.

"Yes we do, Alice." I turned to Edward and moved to take the shopping bags that he was holding from his hand. "Thank you for carrying those, Edward." Exchanging the bags I felt our fingers brush momentarily and, instantly, a tingling sensation moved up my pinkie. Edward's eyes were boring into mine and I barely registered Jasper's words.

"We should be going too, Edward." Jasper's insistent tone was matched by the firmness of his stare in Edward's direction.

"I'll see you at home, Jasper, Edward," Alice said before starting to move forward. I followed Alice and muttered my goodbyes, still perplexed at Jasper's insistent tone. Jasper bowed his head in my direction, all evidence of his previous firmness gone from his face.

"Have a nice weekend, Audrey," Edward smiled at me, seemingly with a scheme in his eyes, before I turned around to follow Alice.

_So far it has been a nice weekend…

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_

"How's the homework coming, Dree," Charlie queried as he made his way into the kitchen. I had stationed myself at the small table so that I could complete my homework and keep an eye on the food in the oven. I rested my pen in my textbook before twisting around to check that Charlie didn't prematurely taste the Superbowl treats.

"The homework is going okay." I shook my head when I saw that Charlie had, indeed, gravitated towards the oven. "Hands off the oven, Uncle Chuck!"

Charlie retreated, rubbing the back of his neck, a guilty expression on his face, before he moved to take a seat next to me. Charlie glanced over my work.

"Who sets homework on Superbowl weekend, anyway, particularly when the Seahawks are playing?"

I chuckled and retrieved my pen.

"Your friend, Mr. Varner."

I continued completing the supposed "class challenge question" that Mr. Varner insisted had to be completed by Monday. In reality, I knew that it was an "Audrey challenge question". It was almost as if Mr. Varner had attempted all week to come up with something to try and crack me. Unfortunately, once again, he would be the one being cracked.

_He has to come up with something harder than this._

"What on earth does that mean, Dree?" Charlie was watching me work, intently. I finished the proof at that moment and positioned my workbook in front of Charlie, ready to try and attempt an explanation. Charlie stopped me by placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Actually, on second thought, I don't want to know, but what I do want to know is what is in that oven."

I began packing away my school books with a smile on my face.

"If I tell you, Uncle Chuck, then they wouldn't be Superbowl _Surprise_ Snacks, now, would they?" I giggled at Charlie's scowl.

"Alright, I'll tell you. In the oven, cooking away, are some brownies and some peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies." Charlie's face perked up and his eyes danced their way towards the oven. I moved to make a cup of tea.

"The main course still needs to be prepared…"

Charlie interrupted me.

"How much are you cooking, Dree? When I said snacks, I didn't intend for you to cook up a…" A loud knock on the door, startled both Charlie and I and we looked at each other as if to question if either one of us was expecting a visitor so early on in the day. We were expecting the Blacks, but at a much later time.

"I, ah, better go see who that is," Charlie mumbled as he disappeared into the hallway. I remained in the kitchen, but listened intently to try and determine who was on the other side of the door. My ears didn't have to strain to hear the booming voice that followed the squeak that indicated the opening of the front door.

"Good morning, Chief Swan. I apologise for stopping by, unexpected. I'm Emmett Cullen."

It hadn't taken me long to make my way towards the hallway upon hearing the jovial tones that could only be associated with Emmett. I watched as Emmett extended his hand to Charlie, who readily reciprocated the action.

"Carlisle's boy?" Emmett nodded at Charlie's question. "It's nice to meet you, Emmett. What can I do for you?" Before Emmett had a chance to respond, I made my presence known.

"Hi, Emmett." Charlie and Emmett's heads both swung in my direction. Emmett's face wore a large grin.

"How are you, Darling?"

_Why, why, why did he have to call me that here?_

The shock on Charlie's face upon hearing Emmett's greeting subsided when he noticed me shake my head. I added, for Charlie's benefit, "Emmett is my chemistry lab partner, Uncle Chuck."

Charlie seemed more at ease upon hearing this, but I still could see his mind jumping to conclusions about Emmett's visit. I decided not to even attempt to come up with a plausible explanation for the visit, but, instead, tried to get an answer directly from the source.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Emmett?"

Emmett grinned at me before saying, as if from a script, "I am the bearer of a surprise gift and message for the lovely Miss Darling."

_What on earth is going on?_

Emmett's grin grew in proportion to the shock that was shown on my face; his golden eyes twinkled with mischief. Emmett moved outside and away from the door, before reappearing with a large box and a small, but beautifully wrapped beige parcel with a purple ribbon. On closer inspection of the large box, I noticed that it was a large keyboard with a stand and pedal.

"That's for Audrey?" Charlie queried, taking a step closer to Emmett and the box, his tone surprised. "Who's it from?" Charlie seemed to have taken the words right out of my mouth.

"It's a gift from the family, Sir. We found out yesterday that Audrey plays piano and we had this unused keyboard at home, so we thought it could finally get used." I gave Emmett a sceptical glare.

_Unused keyboard my foot!_

Emmett raised an eyebrow at my challenging expression. I diverted my gaze to the large box. I was struggling to comprehend it, but the more I thought about, the more plausible the notion seemed - The Cullen family wasn't responsible for this gift, but a single Cullen was.

_Yes, a __**single**__ Cullen. _

My body quivered with uncertainty at the thought that Edward had purchased this keyboard for me.

_What did this mean?_

Charlie's voice filling the hallway awoke me to the fact that Emmett was still here and I'd yet to speak to him since his surprise announcement.

"…Well, it's the least we could do, Sir." Recognising the break in conversation, I addressed Emmett.

"I… I don't know what to say, Emmett. Please send my sincere thanks to your br… family." Emmett smirked upon hearing my thanks and I was certain that he'd noticed me nearly saying brother instead of family.

Emmett took a step forward and handed me the delicately wrapped parcel, whilst saying, "I almost forgot."

The parcel wasn't heavy, but the thoughts behind such a gift were weighing heavily on my mind. I found myself staring at the beautifully tied ribbon and perfectly folded tissue paper that concealed what lay within.

"Well, are you going to open it, or not, Dree?" Charlie perked up.

I gave him an annoyed glance before hesitantly moving to untie the ribbon. With the ribbon untied, I became extremely nervous about carefully undoing the wrapping. I had read New Moon. Deciding on the best way to try and avoid a paper cut, I grabbed the tissue paper and quickly ripped it off. My sigh of relief transformed into a gasp when I recognised the contents of the gift.

Sheet music for Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata rested in my hands. I turned the front page of the booklet with reverence and came upon the beautiful script that I knew from the many times I had observed it in Biology. I focused my attention on the words inscribed on the page.

_**Why are you interesting?**_

_**I never know what to expect.**_

_**Enjoy.**_

_**Edward.**_

He'd answered my question and he'd answered with a note. I smiled as I was reminded of his words on Tuesday afternoon.

"_I'll make a note of it."_

I looked up to meet Emmett's gaze.

"Thank you."

The roar of a car pulling up, outside, interrupted Emmett's response.

Charlie perked up and moved towards the door.

"I think that just might be Billy and Jacob. I wonder why they're so early?"

My new copy of Moonlight Sonata nearly fell from my fingers.

_370 pages left. Why oh why was this happening to me now?

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_

**What's the verdict on Chapter 13?**

**Did Edward mean to see Audrey?**

**What did you think about Edward's gift?**

**Is Edward interested in Audrey?**

**How will Emmett and the Blacks get along?**

**Have you ever had any interesting shopping experiences?**

**Today I went to the shops and found out that the lovely coat that I bought for half price yesterday was a quarter of the price today. And guess what? No returns on sale items! The funny thing was, the coat design was called "Eclipse".**

_I mentioned Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. This is one of my all time favourite piano pieces. There are many renditions of it on youtube._

_**Remember, I've decided that when the story reaches the 250 decent length review mark, I will post a previous chapter, separately, and make it from Edward's POV. How does that sound?  
**_

**As always let me know what you think and if you want a preview write me a decent review ( and remember to sign in so I can send you the preview).**

**All the best,  
**

**Karry.**


	14. Black and White

A/N: Hello everyone! I know some people wanted longer chapters, well... I've written a longer chapter!I'm uploading this now while watching the Tour de France. Go Cadel Evans! Anyone else following the tour? Oh, and GO SPAIN in the World Cup! To my German readers, your team played excellent football. Well done for coming third! I'm hoping your psychic octopus is right, once again!

Your reviews for last chapter were amazing! I can't thank you enough. For those of you who review who aren't members of fanfiction dot net, let me know if you'd like me to respond to your review on my profile page.

Thanks to those people who have added this story to communites and have told others about it. It's much appreciated!

**Can you believe we are only 40 reviews away from the Edward Point of View Outtake! I sure can't... I better finish writing it!**

If you're a new reader, welcome and I'd love to hear from you. (I love to hear from existing readers, too!)

**_Remember, anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter! _**

**_And if you would like to review and don't want a preview, just tell me at the end of the review._**

**_I really value feedback!  
_**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

**

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Dad, you are an amazing editor! EP, you are too!  


* * *

**

**Page Turner**

**Black and White**

_370 pages left. Why oh why was this happening to me now?_

The sound of the front door closing interrupted my inner monologue and alerted me to the fact that Charlie had made his way outside to greet the Blacks.

_Charlie's gone. This is your opportunity to get some answers._

My head remained bowed as I tried to eradicate any signs of the nerves that had flooded my body. It was important not to alert the unexpected guest, who still stood in the hallway, much to my worries. After all, if a person ignorant to the world of vampires and shape shifters were in this situation they wouldn't have anything to be worried about. I was well aware that, once again, I had to play the part of the unsuspecting Australian girl, if I didn't want Emmett to leave here with more suspicions to impart to his family. What perplexed me was why Emmett was even here in the first place. I relished Charlie's absence and the fact that I could try and clear up a few of my own suspicions concerning Emmett's presence in my Forks home.

Tearing my eyes away from the pristine sheet music that had surprisingly remained in my hands, despite my unsettled nerves, I looked up to meet Emmett's tawny gaze. His eyes were bright and his face glowed with amusement. Whether the amusement was related to my behaviour upon receiving Edward's gift, or the situation that Emmett found himself in, I couldn't be sure. I found myself staring at Emmett with a raised eyebrow. Emmett gave voice to his amusement and his boisterous laugh drowned out the muttering voices that previously could be heard from outside.

"Why are you staring at me like that, Darling?" Emmett, eventually, questioned. A smile slowly crept onto my face. Emmett's good humour was contagious. Emmett stilled and fixed his gaze on me, obviously keen to hear my response.

"I'm trying to work out why _you_ are here," I said, whilst moving to rest the sheet music on top of the box containing the keyboard, giving myself a chance to ponder the events of the morning.

_Why is Emmett the one to have dropped off the gift? Surely it would have made more sense for Alice to be visiting, since she has already established herself to Charlie as my friend. If Emmett could give me the gift, why can't the person behind the gift have given it to me himself? Why isn't Edward here?_

Confused beyond belief and resolved to the fact that the only means to an answer for my questions - for the time being - was but a few feet away, I turned my gaze back to Emmett, breathing out a sigh of frustration. In the few seconds that my eyes had strayed from Emmett his whole demeanour had changed. Anyone who didn't know Emmett would have thought that he was truly sad, but I knew he was only portraying a faux disappointment, the words and gestures that followed confirming my conjecture.

"You don't know how hurt I am that you are actually trying to work out why I'm here," Emmett said, dejectedly. He then brought his right hand to his chest and exclaimed, melodramatically, "Can't a guy come and visit his Darling?"

I had to smother a laugh at the sight before me. Seeing someone of Emmett's stature behave so effeminately was just too hilarious for me to remain composed, but I knew that I had to remain focused on getting my answers. Whilst Emmett was a clown by nature, I knew that he was a very intelligent clown. His intellect could not be underestimated and something told me that he thought that he could distract me with his humour and, hence, put a stop to my questioning. Whether these were his motives or not, Emmett did appear shocked as I stared at him, eyebrows raised, seemingly unaffected by his antics. I mulled over his words, as Emmett offered a small, imploring smile my way. Emmett had mentioned visiting "his Darling" and by "Darling" I knew he was referring to me, but I couldn't help but wonder how his true darling, Rosalie, had allowed him to come here, let alone come here without her. This time, my voice rose above the muffled sounds filtering in from outside.

"Oh, please! You know I'm happy to see you, Emmett, so you can put a stop to your Oscar winning performance," I spoke in a voice dripping with sarcasm, which only caused Emmett's smile to grow. I paused, taking a good steady breath, trying to muster all the confidence I had within me.

"What I'd like to know is why you were given the task of delivering my gift, when you and I both know who is behind it, and why, suddenly, Rosalie is allowing you visiting rights outside of Chemistry hours." I was shocked at how upfront I was being and Emmett's wide, golden eyes and raised brow seemed to suggest that he was taken aback by my bluntness. I fixed my gaze on him, firmly, trying to convey to him that I expected answers.

_Was I too frank? _

A buzzing sound resounded around the hallway and reminded me of the treats that needed to be saved from the oven if they were to be edible. Glancing towards the kitchen, my eyes moved across the wall to where Charlie had hung his gun belt. Emmett must have noticed this, because I soon heard him quip, "Hey now, don't shoot the messenger!"

A small, involuntary chuckle escaped my lips as I shook my head. My harsh façade broken, I indicated with my eyes for Emmett to follow me into the kitchen and, when I was certain that he was doing so, moved to grab my oven mitts. I opened the oven door and was met with the sweet, delectable scent that could only come from the combination of melted chocolate, sugar and vanilla. Before beginning to methodically check if the brownies and cookies were cooked, I turned to Emmett with a smirk and said, casually, "I can listen and do this at the same time. So, feel free to start explaining."

Removing my gaze from Emmett's twinkling eyes, I continued to look after my baking. I nearly squashed a cookie as I was patting it to try and determine if the batch was cooked when Emmett's quizzical voice disturbed the silence.

"You're quite determined, aren't you?"

I extracted the brownies from the oven before switching it off and began removing the oven mitts from my hands, as I made my way towards Emmett's position by the small table. The smell of fresh baking permeating the kitchen, I didn't miss Emmett's nose crinkle as my movement stirred the air.

"In a word… yes. Are homemade brownies and cookies enough of a bribe?"

_It wouldn't be weird for someone who doesn't know what you know to ask that. I wonder if he'd actually accept._

Emmett's chuckle filled the air.

"I am above bribery, Darling, but if you're willing to go to such lengths…" Emmett shook his head, seemingly amused at my offer, before continuing.

"Rosalie, Esme and Alice are out this morning getting the necessary ingredients for our own Superbowl feast. So, Rose doesn't actually know that I'm here." My mind translated Emmett's carefully chosen words to mean, "The girls are out hunting and I snuck out." I nodded my head to Emmett's explanation and then encouraged him to provide me with an answer to my other question.

"And Edward… why isn't he here? Didn't he want to give me my gift?" I waited eagerly for Emmett's explanation. Emmett smiled at me in almost a brotherly way.

"Well, don't you think that a note means more if the person who wrote it isn't there when you read it?"

I pondered Emmett's words and realised that he was right. If Edward had been present when I'd read his note, feelings of nervousness would have overridden the emotions that his words had stirred within me and the effect of the note wouldn't have been as great. I found it interesting that Emmett had been the one to point this out to me.

"I never expected you to say something like that Emmett, but you're right. I didn't think about it like that," I admitted. Emmett chuckled - a response that perplexed me greatly.

"Well, that makes me feel better, knowing that my smart lab partner hadn't thought about it like that, either." I gave Emmett a quizzical look, which seemed to encourage him to continue with his explanation.

"You were right. It's usually not my style to say something like that." He paused and I waited for the punch line.

"Those words were totally Edward! He had to explain _the art of the handwritten note_ to me this morning as he gave me my instructions." Emmett used a sophisticated voice to emphasise '_the art of the handwritten note_'. I supported myself on one of the chairs as I laughed with Emmett, but beneath my amusement a new feeling was making itself known. I found myself looking at Edward's effort in awe and I wondered – just for a moment – about the nature of his interest. Perhaps there was more to it than the mystery of my being impervious to his mind-reading or that I smelt like an appetising snack!

_Does he… like me?_

I was vaguely aware of the sounds emanating from the hallway, as I met Emmett's eyes, and realised that our time to ourselves was coming to an end.

"Well … as well as conveying my thanks to him, you can tell Edward that your performance was _noteworthy!_" I quipped.

We chuckled together – Emmett much more loudly than I – until Emmett replied, "Glad that I have your approval, Darling! You can be sure that I'll tell him."

"…Seems that I've missed out on some of the fun."

I turned around in response to Jacob's slightly accusatorial tone of voice filling the room and noticed that he was standing in the doorway. Reminding myself that I had to act as though I knew nothing of legends and rivalries, I greeted Jacob with a smile and, hesitantly, gestured for him to come closer to where Emmett and I were positioned. Adrenalin was spreading through my body as I waited, anxiously, for Jacob and Emmett to respond to each others presence. Emmett, remained oddly at ease, his face still holding the smile from our conversation, but I knew that his silence reflected an inner tension. I blinked rapidly when I observed Jacob take a hefty sniff of his surroundings, as he moved to stand beside me.

_No. He can't smell Emmett. Surely not… yet…_

"Mm… something smells great, Dree! I can't wait to taste your food, _again_." I breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Jake's words, but was surprised at the slight emphasis he placed on the word "again".

_No. Surely he's not… marking his territory. Gosh, you're already using dog puns?_

"Thanks, Jake," I replied, still slightly stunned at his tone.

Deciding that I had better introduce my guests to each other, I moved my gaze between both Emmett and Jacob as if I were following the ball in a tennis rally.

"Jacob Black, meet Emmett Cullen. Emmett, this is Jacob."

Neither one looked to extend the hand to the other, but Emmett offered a smile that showed his glistening teeth to Jacob. Jacob reciprocated the action.

"It's nice to meet you, Jacob. I can't thank you enough for rescuing me from the girl talk that I've been subjected to," Emmett said with a mischievous look in my direction. Jacob seemed to find Emmett's comment amusing.

I glared at Emmett, although I found this conversation entertaining and scoffed, "I resent that! You were the one acting like a girl, earlier!"

Jake chuckled out, "Seems like I really did miss out on some fun. I should have come in here sooner, even if there was girl talk!"

I just rolled my eyes, shook my head and moved further into the kitchen. I'd considered the possibility that there could be animosity between Jake and Emmett, but I had never even thought that they would team up against me. I was slightly bewildered at how the day was playing out.

_The unexpected is becoming the expected. _

Feeling like I needed a task to occupy my hands, I went into "hostess mode", turned to meet the amused faces of the guys and asked, instinctively, "Is anyone hungry? Can I get you something to drink?"

Emmett's face lit up and he brought his fisted hand to his mouth as if he was attempting to smother a laugh, all the while shaking his head. I glanced at Jacob to see if he had reacted the same way to my words, but he didn't appear to find my questions humorous.

_Oh! Duh…" hungry" and "drink", Audrey!_

I could understand why my words were amusing to Emmett.

"I am a bit hungry, but I'll wait till the game, Dree," Jacob's voice rang around the kitchen. Emmett had calmed down slightly, now, and responded when I met his gaze.

"I'm hungry like the wolves, Darling, so I better go home so I can attack Esme's Superbowl feast." I tried to remain composed upon hearing the words spoken by Emmett's burly voice, for an ignorant person wouldn't have been able to see the humour in them.

"Enjoy the keyboard and I'll see you in class tomorrow, Darling," Emmett said as he began to meander towards the entrance to the hallway. I followed him.

"You two are in the same class?" Jacob's voice queried, as he moved up beside me.

Before I could respond, Emmett wiggled his eyebrows in my direction whilst saying, "Yeah. We have _chemistry_."

I turned to look at Jake and saw that his well defined jaw had appeared to have tensed.

"Jake, this oaf here is my lab partner and this is what I've had to get used to in the past week," I said, nodding my head in Emmett's direction. A satisfied smirk graced Emmett's face. I returned his smirk, before continuing. "…That is, of course, when his girlfriend lets him off the leash!"

Emmett gave me a questioning look. I inclined my head in Jake's direction in response to his chuckle and noticed that his movements were less forced. He seemed freer and the correlation between his ease and my words worried me.

"Help yourself to any of the drinks, Jake. I'll just see Emmett out."

Jake nodded and some of his long ebony hair fell in front of his eyes as he offered a parting wave to Emmett, before making his way towards the fridge.

"Nice meeting you."

I led Emmett into the hallway where Charlie was helping Billy remove his coat.

_Had they just come in, now?_

When Charlie turned to face me and Emmett, I took in the expression on his face. It was the expression that had enveloped his face as we had sat in the school office after first dealing with Mrs. Cope. A crease was showing between his lowered eyebrows, as if he were frustrated or thinking really hard about something. His eyes weren't bright as they usually were and his mouth was set in a firm line. Charlie looked a little bit peeved at something and my best guess was that he'd had words about a certain family with the man now giving Emmett the look of death, from his chair. Emmett's eyes were firmly fixed on Billy's and for once, Emmett did look like he was made of stone. His face was hard and expressionless. There was a tension in the air that I didn't like. I wanted to get out of that space.

"I'm just going to see Emmett out, Uncle Chuck." Charlie nodded at me, before taking a step closer to Emmett.

"You make sure to convey our thanks to the rest of your family."

Emmett moved his gaze upwards to meet Charlie's eyes and offered a small smile before responding, casually, "I will make sure I do, Sir."

I chanced a glance at Billy before I began to follow Emmett outside and decided to act puzzled when he stared at me firmly. I noted that my bewildered expression appeared to have had its desired effect when Billy offered me a small smile.

Steeping over the threshold and pulling the door behind me, I welcomed the chilled temperature of the outdoors over the icy atmosphere that had engulfed the hallway. I stationed myself at the top of the stairs, where I was still protected from the swirling wind and slight drizzle. Surprised to have not heard the door close, I looked over my shoulder and noticed that the door had been prevented from closing and was now wide open.

_Someone wants to keep an eye on you. Charlie is either worried over what Billy has said or… worried about Emmett's intentions._

I grinned to myself and wrapped my arms around my chest. My eyes followed Emmett's movement into the light drizzle of rain and to his large, chunky car at the curb.

_That Jeep suits him._

As Emmett took his seat in the car and the engine rumbled to life, I couldn't dismiss the possibility that Edward was hiding in the vicinity. I raised my voice above the engine noise and spoke my words to Emmett, but they were directed at Edward.

"Thanks for your present." My tone was sincere. Emmett responded how he did best – in a joking tone.

"Sorry, did you say thanks for my presence? If so, then you're welcome." I just stared at Emmett, eyes wide and with a close-lipped smile on my face, but then my inquisitive mind got the better of me. Before I registered what I was doing, my hair was whipping across my face, blown about by the wind, as I scurried to the curb to question Emmett, away from prying ears.

"Can't get enough of me, Darling?" Emmett joked and I did find it funny, but I didn't want to encourage Emmett further.

"You just love to stir me, don't you? Speaking of stirring, I hope you had fun playing around with Jacob, back there." Emmett met my eyes, sheepishly, to which I raised my eyebrows, questioningly. Emmett just shrugged his shoulders.

"What can I say? The kid fell for the bait." Emmett chuckled before continuing. "I'm no mind-reader, but I'd say that you have an admirer."

_Yes. I know who the mind-reader is._

I brushed my fingers through my hair, pulling it away from my eyes and muttered sarcastically, "Great… just what I want." Emmett just laughed.

_You'll just have to ignore any of Jake's advances. Yep. That's what's going to have to happen. _

"You can tell me about your conquests in chemistry." Emmett winked, before driving away. "Bye, Darling!"

_What an intriguing morning._

Walking back into the house and finally locking out the cold by closing the door, I heard the muffled sounds of Charlie and Jacob's voices emanating from the kitchen and was just about to make my way there when the squeak of rubber against floorboards heralded Billy's approach.

"How are you, Audrey?" Billy asked. His cold eyes were juxtaposed against his warm, rusty skin tone and I noticed that his lips were pulled into a smile.

Attempting to contain my wariness of what was to follow, I replied, "I'm good, Billy. How are you?"

Billy wheeled his chair towards the keyboard box that was still positioned in the hallway.

"I'm alright, Audrey," was Billy's considered reply. "I'll be better once I've had some of your cooking." I smiled at this, but carefully regarded Billy's actions. He continued to examine the keyboard box.

"The Cullens bought you this?" Billy failed to meet my eyes as I responded.

"Yes. It was quite a surprise when Emmett showed up with it, this morning." I attempted to speak in a carefree tone, not wanting to alert Billy to my guesses of where this conversation was headed.

"Be careful of them, Audrey. Be careful of the Cullens." Billy's voice was riddled with a warning tone and his eyes displayed concern. I hadn't expected him to be so upfront with me. I furrowed my brow in an attempt to look puzzled, before gently touching Billy's arm.

"I don't know what this all about, Billy, but thanks for your concern. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get to the task of making you feel better. I've got to get cooking!" Billy laughed, but not heartily and I retreated to the kitchen feeling as though I'd successfully evaded yet another awkward situation.

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"…Just by the window, Audrey?"

Charlie stood beside my bedroom window, with the newly assembled keyboard stand, awaiting my instructions. Looking around the room, I knew that the only position for the keyboard was, indeed, by the window and so I answered Charlie in the affirmative. With Charlie positioning the keyboard on the stand, I quickly placed my desk chair before the keyboard. I opened the sheet music for Moonlight Sonata against the keyboard, careful to hide Edward's script from Charlie. He'd been worried enough by Emmett's presence, but had quickly eased off the questions when I'd informed him of Emmett's long standing girlfriend.

"So, do I get a recital, Dree?" Charlie asked, clear excitement in his voice. I turned my neck around and looked into his eyes from beneath my lashes.

"Actually, Uncle Chuck, would you mind if I practiced a bit before I play for you? I haven't played in quite a while and, well, I want you to hear me play well. Is that okay?" I felt bad for depriving Charlie of hearing me play, especially after he'd eagerly helped me set up the keyboard.

_Maybe his reward for helping you set up would be to not hear you play!_

If Charlie was disappointed, he didn't show it. He looked at me with warmth in his chocolate brown eyes and offered me an understanding smile.

"Okay, Dree. Practice away, because I'd love to hear you play." I nodded and returned his smile.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Charlie said, as he ran his hand along the back of his neck and moved towards the door.

"So early?" Charlie usually went to bed a few hours later than this.

Charlie faced me, as he stood by the door and, placing his hands in his jean pockets, replied, "Yep. I am kind of tired and I can't stand to watch the TV at the moment. All it will have on is reminders of the stupid Seahawks and how badly they played." Charlie grimaced and I just laughed.

"Yes. I wonder how long it will take for you, Billy and Jacob to stop grumbling about it. Actually, your grumbling and screaming at the TV is probably what's worn you out! I'm not that tired."

I'd tried to watch the game with interest, but once it was obvious that Seattle were not going to win, I became distracted with visions of a bronze haired gentleman inscribing sheet music in his elegant script with a fountain pen. The one thing I did find engaging about the Superbowl were the commercials. Some of them were brilliant and it was a particularly brilliant one with a beach that prompted Jacob to ask me when I planned on coming down to La Push. Luckily, he bought my excuses about assignments restricting me to the house for the next couple of weekends. I did really want to see the vast beauty of La Push, but, after the events of today, I knew that it was important for me to give Jake some space. I didn't want him to g et the wrong idea.

"If there's one thing I achieve this year, it will be to get you screaming at NFL games on the TV with me!" Charlie yawned.

_Will I still be here for the start of the NFL season?_

"I better get to bed."

I was filled with a sense of melancholy as I gazed at Charlie's kind face and thought about how my time here was limited.

"Goodnight, Uncle Chuck." I tried to hide my sadness. "There's a leftover BLT for your lunch, tomorrow."

Charlie face lit up in thanks.

"Excellent! Thanks, Dree. Have a good day, tomorrow." With that Charlie's footfalls became softer and softer as he retreated to his bedroom.

Not wanting my playing to disturb Charlie, I went and gently closed the door to my room. Turning back around, I took in the tableau before me. With the keyboard situated in front of the window, as it was, I couldn't help but think of what it symbolised. It would be as if I was performing to the window and by performing to the window I knew that I was inadvertently performing for Edward. I wasn't stupid. I highly suspected that he would be situated somewhere outside, waiting to hear me play, but as much as this made me nervous, I knew that I would have to play sometime. Besides, I longed to have an escape through music. With this in mind, I eased my way into the seat and placed my hands on the keyboard. Gazing at the music before me, I sighed, deeply, before gently pressing down on the keys and producing the soft, haunting tones of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

It didn't take long for my fingers to fall into place and I soon was mindlessly lost in the music they were producing, with only reflections of the day's events filling my mind. One question became prevalent above all others.

Would today not have been easier if the Cullens were aware of my knowledge?

If Emmett had known that I wasn't ignorant to his situation then I wouldn't have had to have worried about controlling my body language and tone and I wouldn't have been constantly thinking about what to say. If Alice was aware of my knowledge then we could be freer around each other and she wouldn't have to ask round about questions to try and understand the visions that involved me that I suspected confused her greatly. I couldn't be sure of how Jasper and Rosalie would react. Would they want to dispose of me as they did Bella in Midnight Sun? No. The situation was greatly different and I couldn't believe that they'd even think of such measures, given my level of interaction with the family. But what would Edward think? If Edward knew the extent of my knowledge would he finally trust me? Would he want to get to know me? Was I willing to share my secret with the Cullens in order to end pretences and go through the next 363 pages with fewer worries?

Playing the final deep and reverberating chords of the piece, I realised my answer.

Yes. I was.

I gazed out into the night and watched as the bare branches before me swayed in response to the wind.

_It's the wind of change, Audrey._

My gaze shifted to the thick stick that I'd jammed in the window frame. Turning off the keyboard, I hesitantly moved towards the window. With a deep breath, I reached out and pulled the stick out of its place. If I wanted the Cullens to get to know me, then I shouldn't shut them out and the removal of the stick was, on a deeper level, symbolic of this notion. I needed to be open with the Cullens and that openness would begin tomorrow.

Encasing myself in thick blankets, later that night, I let the melody of Moonlight Sonata replay in my mind and lull me to sleep.

* * *

Vaguely aware of a tapping against my window, I was shocked awake when I felt the mattress sink beneath me. My heart hammered against my chest and my breathing became short and shallow as I considered the sight that would await me when I opened my eyes. I was reminded of those Christmas Eve nights, when, as a child, I would be so scared to open my eyes, upon hearing any sound, in case I would catch Santa delivering my gifts. Unlike my childhood self, I was now able to muster up the courage and take a peek at the foot of my bed.

"Good. You're awake."

Hurriedly, I turned on my lamp. I blinked rapidly as my eyes adjusted to the light as I took in the sight before me.

"I'm sorry I startled you, dear."

Mavis sat at the end of my bed, her hair still a cloud of glistening grey and her depthless blue eyes, framed by those silver glasses, gazed into my own. I moved to speak, but Mavis silenced me.

"As much as you may want to, you can't tell them, Audrey. You can't tell the Cullens about the blank book. The time isn't right and, for you, the right time is important. Trust me." Mavis appeared very insistent, preventing me from questioning her.

"Yes. You can tell them that you are aware of their situation, but you cannot tell them how you are aware of it. The time isn't right."

The light began to fade and so did Mavis' figure.

"The time isn't right…"

Darkness engulfed my vision and of my five senses, I could only register something extremely cold brush across my cheek. I fought with all my might to escape the darkness and, as my eyelids fluttered open, I sat bolt upright in my bed and was met with an unusual ethereal brightness. My breathing heavy, I glanced around the space and recognised it as my room in Forks.

_Was it just a dream? Was Mavis sending me a message or was it my subconscious? _

I pulled back the covers and moved to get out of bed.

Whatever had happened, something within me told me that I should listen to what Mavis had said, whether she was real or not. I was certain that I had to listen to Mavis. I just had to.

A small draft blew at my back and sent shivers down my spine. Turning towards the source, my eyes noticed two things.

The window was slightly open and the once bare branches of the tree were now covered in snow.

I collided with the chair in front of the keyboard and my mind linked snow with events in Twilight. Ironically, that's what I was now afraid of – a collision.

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**Did you enjoy the longer chapter? Here's some things to think about:**

**What did you think of the Emmett Audrey interaction?**

**What did you think of the Emmett Jake interaction?**

**Did Audrey handle the situation well?**

**Did you expect Mavis to make an appearance?**

**How do you think Audrey will deal with the events of the week?**

**less than 20 decent reviews away from EPOV outtake!  
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I don't know if I'll be able to update this time again next week, because I have my a number of parties to attend, including my own. I will try very hard!

**As always let me know what you think and if you want a preview write me a decent review (and remember to sign in so I can send you the preview).**

**Have a lovely week,  
**

**Karry.**


	15. Snowballing

A/N: Firstly, this chapter is not as long as the last, but next chapter is seriously epic!

A lot has happened since last update!

We finally reached the 250 review mark and I promise that the EPOV outtake will be up this week. I know how much people want to read it.

Also, TwiFic Promotions have reviewed this story and advertised it on their webpage. Head over to twi-ficpromotions(dot)blogspot(dot)com to check out other great Twilight Fanfictions.

As well as that awesome news, I joined Twitter. I'll tweet about when I'm posting a new chapter, how the chapter is coming along etc. Follow me at karry4harry.

Finally, thank you to those who said Happy Birthday. It made my days all the more brighter.

If you're a new reader, welcome and I'd love to hear from you. (I love to hear from existing readers, too!)

**_Remember, anyone who provides a decent lengthed review (you can be critical) will receive a preview of the next chapter! _**

**_And if you would like to review and don't want a preview, just tell me at the end of the review._**

**_I really value feedback!  
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**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

**

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Dad, you are an amazing editor!

* * *

**

**Page Turner**

**15. Snowballing**

I was frozen in my place, but it wasn't only due to the ice cold wind, which howled as it gusted through the partially open window and into my room. My body was immobile, whilst my mind was moving at a million miles an hour. As if someone wanted to taunt me further, small specks of white accompanied the breeze and were soon hovering before my eyes, painstakingly taking their time to elaborately swirl their way down to the hardwood floor. My eyes followed their path. Their movements only served to remind me of an incident with a swerving van - a van spiralling out of control in a school parking lot.

_Will you be confronted with that image - head on - tomorrow? No… you can avoid it._

With my body now shaking from the crippling cold that was engulfing the room, I instinctively leant over the keyboard and closed the window. Instantly, I felt the warmth begin to return to the tip of my nose. Still gazing out the window and at the small flakes of white, slowly clustering on the branches that impeded my view of the road, I gradually sank down to sit on the chair with which I had previously collided.

_Who had left that window open? Had Mavis really been in my bedroom and left the window open, or was a Cullen responsible? Could it have been Edward?_

I sat there, looking out at the world of green as it became speckled in white, trying to infer what actually had happened, while I had been in the land of nod. All I could surmise was that whoever had left the window open had left my bedroom in a hurry. However, an open window was the least of my worries. Mavis' visit replayed in my mind.

I leant my head back and rested it on the chair, breathing out a puff of air in frustration.

_The time isn't right…_

When _would_ the time be right for me to impart to the Cullens my whole story – the whole truth?

Perhaps I would never know. Deep down, I _did_ know that I wasn't in a position to discount Mavis' advice.

With time at the forefront of my mind, the ticking of my clock seemed to crescendo, coming to a climax as my eyes finally met the clock face. They slowly registered the position of the hands on the clock face. It was as if a loud gong resounded, silencing every other noise around it. Any other thoughts were simply erased from my mind. Gone were my contemplations of Mavis' visit and the partially open window. Only one thought echoed in my head.

_Crap! That can't be the time? Surely… the time isn't right. Oh, the irony!_

I had already missed the start of school! I was already ten minutes late. I hastily jumped up out of the chair and ran towards the alarm clock positioned on my bedside table, hoping that the large clock had malfunctioned for some reason.

_Shit!_

Hoping beyond hope that someone had played around with the clocks in my room, I quickly left my bedroom behind as I scurried down the stairs in a flurry, making my way into the kitchen. Staring at the clock above the phone, my chest tightened. I resigned myself to the fact that I must have slept through my alarm.

Realising that I didn't have the time to try and analyse how I had wound up in this situation, I shakily lifted the phone from the receiver and dialled the number that was written on the notepad by the phone. I tried to slow my breathing before I had to speak. I could feel my heightened pulse pounding away in my ears and, after what felt like a lifetime, the person, whose voice I hoped to hear, answered.

"Forks Police Department. Chief Swan, speaking."

After calming me down and telling me that I could be forgiven for missing one or two classes, Charlie jokingly told me to hang up on him and get to school. Feeling slightly better, I set about making myself look presentable, all the while considering how understanding and compassionate Charlie had been. I still expected him to have a chat with me over dinner, that night, though.

The drive to school left me little time to think of the taxing events that had plagued me since falling asleep the previous night, because my mind was entirely focused on dealing with the snowy conditions. My time in Forks had been filled with new experiences and driving in snow was another addition to that list.

…_So is sleeping through your alarm and being late for school! Or did someone play with the alarm? Should I be alarmed?_

With the snow softly falling, it was kind of eerie pulling up into a mostly full, but strangely silent, car park. I parked as far away as I could from the school buildings, not wanting to catch the attention of distracted students gazing out of windows. Turning the engine off, I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. The second class of the day had already started a while ago. I slumped back in my seat, deciding to wait until third period began before I made my way into the school. With how hectic the morning had been, I realised that this was as good a moment as any to compose myself and relax - if just for a few minutes. I fiddled around with the heat controls and extracted a CD from the glove box. The melodies of Chopin's Nocturnes soon surrounded me and, with the snow gently falling down, I felt as though I was in a beautiful, tranquil winter wonderland. Slowly, I felt the tension in my shoulders ease and I took some nice calming breaths, when thoughts of my possible impending doom drifted into my mind and images of a blue van skidding my way filled my mind's eye. I found myself whispering words of encouragement to myself.

"It'll be okay. You'll be prepared and everything will be alright…"

I tensed and stopped abruptly when my eyes caught movement in the rear-view mirror. My moment of solitude disturbed, I found myself twisting around in my seat, scanning the parking lot for any new occupant or disturbance. Still highly paranoid, I turned to look behind me and jumped back in my seat as my wide eyes met the tousled bronze hair and worried etched face of Edward behind the passenger side window. I tried to steady my startled heart, but my attempt was useless. Looking into Edward's golden eyes and watching the little specks of white fall into his hair only made my heart beat all the more erratically. Without thinking, my left hand moved to a control on the driver's side door and soon the passenger side window was retracting. Snow flakes fluttered into the car, as Edward rested his hands on the door frame.

"Audrey, are you alright?" Edward asked; his normally smooth voice carrying undisguised overtones of worry.

Taken aback by Edward's appearance, all I could do was look intensely at his handsome face and connect the expression it wore to the concerned tone of his voice. Eventually meeting his eyes, his golden gaze implored me to respond.

"Yes. I'm fine, Edward," I almost whispered.

My words didn't appear to soothe Edward's worry. His face still held its concerned expression, but his eyes suggested a certain scepticism.

"You're late to school and currently missing class, but you're fine?"

In the small time frame after Edward's question, my mind became illuminated to the fact that Edward was also missing class, as we spoke. My mind was a jumbled mess of perplexities and on the top of the pile was Edward's sudden appearance. As I had done previously, I found myself in a verbal joust with Edward in order to hide the truth. It was almost instinctual.

"Well, you're out of class, too." Edward responded by widening his eyes. I smirked and continued. "What's up with you?"

Edward looked down, seemingly trying to consider how to answer. I didn't turn my gaze away from him, even as I tightened the scarf that was secured around my neck, as the cold filtered into the car through the open window. The scarf prevented the fresh gust of cold wind from assaulting my throat, but I was defenceless to the scent that met my nose.

It was intoxicating.

I found myself closing my eyes as I inhaled the fragrant caresses of vanilla, honey and… _sandalwood?_

Exhaling, I opened my eyes to find that Edward's gaze had returned to my face and I watched as his chestnut locks assailed his face as they danced in the wind. His blowing hair didn't detract me from noticing the new intensity that Edward's eyes projected.

"I was worried about you, Audrey," he admitted in a soft tone. My body shivered, but not from the cold. Edward must have noticed my shivering and attributed it to the open window.

"May I?" he said inclining his head in the direction of the vacant passenger seat.

I found myself automatically nodding and responding, "Sure," giving little consideration to anything else other than the chance to be closer to Edward.

_Beware the spell… Keep your head._

In a move almost too smooth, Edward opened the door. My heart began to thump loudly against my chest and I felt the tiniest of tingles in the pit of my stomach as he sat himself in the passenger seat and closed the door and then the window. The scene was almost too much like a dream. I was in a car, with Edward, soft piano music was the backing track to our rendezvous and we sat, sheltered, in a warm car, as little specks of snow cascaded from the sky and collected around the edges of the windows.

"So, I've told you why I'm missing class. What's your reason?" Edward asked, fixing his gaze on me.

I pushed some loose strands of hair behind my ear and stared at the windscreen as I contemplated how to respond.

_Why are you hesitating? There's nothing suspicious about the truth._

Maybe I was hesitating because, more than anything, I was embarrassed about why I'd been late for class and, realising this, I figured that it was only fair to share my reasons for being late with Edward.

_After all, he said he was worried about you._

I spoke at the windscreen. "I overslept." I turned to meet Edward's face. "That's why I'm late. It's as simple as me not waking up on time." I smiled in response to the crooked grin on Edward's face as he seemed to appraise what I'd said. Seeing this reminded me of what he'd said in the note that Emmett had delivered, yesterday.

_I never know what to expect. _

It dawned on me that I was now able to thank Edward for his gift, properly, and make use of this time we had away from prying eyes. I thought I could afford to have a little fun with expressing my gratitude, as well. I was curious to see if my theory about my open window was close to the truth. I took on a serious tone and expression.

"I blame you for affecting my sleeping patterns, you know." I watched Edward closely and I thought I saw a flash of nervousness displayed on his face, while he seemingly fought to try and keep his crooked grin in place.

"Really? Why is that?" Edward's tone suggested that he was unworried and somewhat amused by my comment, but his jaw was tight and he combed his fingers through his hair, pulling back the stray locks that had fallen into his face. Now unobstructed by his windswept hair, the full power of Edward's eyes were released on me. I gazed back at the windscreen, not wanting to be dazzled again. I was pretty sure that Edward's actions suggested a fear of being caught out for his night time visit to my room.

… _Or are you seeing what you want to see? Do you want it to have been Edward who left your window open?_

If I was being honest with myself, I knew that I would never truly find out if Edward had been the one to leave the window open until I'd shared my knowledge with the Cullens and, even then, I wasn't sure what would become of our relationships. Nevertheless, I couldn't resist the opportunity to watch Edward try and disguise his squirm.

"Well, if you hadn't bought me a keyboard and provided me with sheet music then I wouldn't have been so relaxed and I wouldn't have been lulled to sleep by the haunting sounds of Moonlight Sonata that kept replaying over and over again in my head." I turned to Edward with a smirk. "So, I hope we can agree that you are to blame for the situation I find myself in this morning," I said, good-humouredly.

Edward had visibly relaxed, his eyes glinting with a new light and his beautiful grin no longer appeared forced. I tried to chisel the image before me into my mind's eye. It was too beautiful to forget. If I took anything home with me from this experience, I hoped it would be this image of Edward amused and comfortable, seemingly unburdened by his past, his present and his worries of what the future held.

"Audrey, we haven't agreed on anything so far, so why start now?" Edward quipped, raising a perfect eyebrow. I just shook my head and moved to fiddle with the air vents in the dash. I felt the heat rise in my ears, as I prepared myself for what I was about to say. I returned my gaze to Edward, whose eyes appeared to trail my every move. For my part, it was almost like I was gazing at the Mona Lisa – a picture of pure perfection. From my time in the Louvre, I'd discovered that it didn't matter from which way you viewed her, you always felt her eyes on you – continuously following you – and, coupled with that smirk of hers, you couldn't help but think that she was amused at some secret that you had yet to discover.

_Is Edward aware that you know his family's secret? Perhaps not…_

"By the way, thank you for the gift." I tried to adequately convey the sincerity of my words through my tone, wanting him to appreciate how much I valued the gift and the thought behind it.

"You're welcome." Edward held my gaze before inclining his head in the direction of the CD player. "Do you play any Chopin?" Edward's tone was inquisitive. I couldn't help myself… I laughed.

_Only in my dreams, Edward! Then again… look where I am now._

Edward looked at me, curiosity evident on his face. When my laughter subsided, I answered his questioning stare.

"The only way my fingers can produce the melodies of Chopin, Edward, is by pushing the play button on a CD player."

Edward's eyes hadn't deviated from my face and, finding the moment slightly intense, I began to run my hands along the smooth steering wheel. When Edward didn't respond instantaneously, I felt the need to continue.

"I only listen to Chopin," I admitted, further clarifying my earlier point. "I find that the Nocturnes, in particular, soothe me and I was a bit stressed with rushing to school this morning." I pulled a hand through my hair.

"Do you have a favourite Nocturne?" Edward's melodious voice carried above the background music like a descant, drawing my attention away from the steering wheel and back to the golden depths of his eyes. I was helpless.

Without evening considering how to respond, I said, "Nocturne number one," and I thanked my lucky stars that Edward's question hadn't been more probing. I didn't like feeling defenceless and yet, at the same time, I was enjoying my current discomfort more than I cared to admit.

As an afterthought, I added, "I like this one, too." The piercing minor chords of Nocturne nineteen resounded around the car.

"Which one is your…", but my question was quickly interrupted by the shrill rings of the bell signalling the end of the second class of the day.

The car fell into silence as I automatically responded to the bell. Wanting to be anything but late, I hastily removed the key from the ignition and reached behind my seat to get my bag. Just about to exit the car, the corner of my eye noticed my door already being opened. A tingling feeling crept up my spine as I stepped out of the car and I was greeted with Edward's small smile.

"Thanks," I said watching Edward close the door. Knowing I had to hurry to trigonometry, I added as I walked away, "I'll see you later, Edward."

"Audrey." I quickly gazed behind me, not so much in response to my name, but to the sound of Edward's voice. "Nocturne one," Edward said meeting my eyes. I smirked.

"See, we can agree on something."

I didn't wait to see how Edward's face responded. Instead, I pivoted on the spot - taking full advantage of the snowy ground – and moved towards my trigonometry classroom, with the sound of snowball fights at my back.

After having a slow start, the rest of the day seemed to fly by. Mr. Varner had eagerly moved to collect the weekend's homework assignment at the beginning of the lesson, seemingly in a good mood. Needless to say that, after taking a glance at my solution, his mood turned sour.

_Mr. Varner – nil: Audrey Darling – two… but who was keeping score?_

My own mood turned sour as Chemistry began. Mr. Jones had decided to give us our test, today, but that didn't bother me, as I was quite familiar with the concepts needed to answer the questions. No. I was disappointed because doing a test meant I was unable to talk with Emmett. My mood was lifted, slightly, though when he flicked a tiny snowball at my head, as we exited the chemistry classroom, before hurrying after Rosalie. I'm pretty sure he noticed my scowl in his direction.

_You'll have to find a way to get him back…_

When Alice caught up to me in the hall, as I made my way towards the Cafeteria, she looked at me and I knew I was being admonished for my attire. In my rush to get to school I'd thrown on my Converse, a pair of jeans, a thick, black, long sleeved shirt and a purple cardigan from my old wardrobe. I had, at least, made use of the black parka and scarf that I had purchased on Saturday, which, I think, saved me from receiving a lecture from the petite beauty. I did attempt to justify my choice of clothing, but Alice just smiled and put a halt to my explanations.

"It's okay, Audrey. Edward saw me and told me about your late start to the morning." She gave me a knowing grin, before we joined the food line. On hearing Edward's name, my eyes automatically sought him out and I wasn't disappointed when I caught a glimpse of tousled reddish brown hair at the Cullen table. What did cause me to become disappointed were the glares I was receiving from Lauren and Jessica. Both of them seemed to be conversing with other members of their table, as they shifted their eyes my way.

_No doubt they're spreading more unsavoury rumours._

"Audrey."

Alice returned my attention to collecting my lunch and I made a pact to myself to not even think about Lauren or Jessica for the remainder of the day.

_No. Think about happier things… like the bronze haired gentleman who you get to sit next to as you eat your lunch._

As much as I tried to keep my thoughts turned away from troubling things, recollections of the event that I could be facing tomorrow keep entering my mind, as snow ball debris sprinkled itself across the cafeteria. If I had no idea of the event that could ensue tomorrow, I may have joined in on some of the snow throwing action. I attempted to hide my discomfort from Alice as we scurried across the cafeteria to our seats, trying to protect ourselves and our trays from flecks of ice.

I was somewhat surprised, as we approached the table, when Alice didn't move towards her normal seat beside Jasper. I stopped in my tracks as the small, black haired, pixie look alike, lived up to her appearance and mischievously smashed a hidden snowball on a very unsuspecting Edward's head. For the first time, I was a witness to Jasper truly laughing and it suited him. I couldn't help but hope that the sight before me was more common in the Cullens' domain. Yet to see Edward's expression, I eased my way up to the table, where a smirking Alice had already seated herself, and took my seat before, cautiously, turning Edward's way. It was fair to say that he was giving Alice quite an unamused look, but Alice didn't seem phased. Instead, she looked on with excitement flickering in her large amber eyes and I soon found out why. I suddenly felt tiny, droplets all over my skin and watched as Edward shook his hair, cascading our table and it's occupants in snowball debris. Whilst the Cullens couldn't have cared less about the food on their trays, I certainly cared about mine and so I hunched over it, acting as a shield.

With my eyes meeting the table, my ears registered the amusement of the Cullens, as three musical laughs came together to harmonise. I slowly sat up and glanced around the table to see the Cullens chuckling at each other. I couldn't help but smile and shook my head. Suddenly, snow didn't seem so bad.

"Sorry, what were you saying Audrey?" Edward asked meeting my gaze, as the laughter subsided. Edward's question was all it took for the table to fall into silence and it was then that I realised what might have occurred.

_Did he just read my thoughts?_

I'm sure my face displayed my bewilderment. Never deviating my gaze from Edward's I responded, softly.

"I… I didn't say anything, Edward."

Edward held my gaze for a fraction longer, before moving between Alice and Jasper's faces. I followed his movements and saw both Alice and Jasper's incredulous expressions. Edward's somewhat distant voice drew my attention back to his face.

"My ear hurts. I think I should go and see the nurse."

I followed Edward's movement right up until he exited the cafeteria all the while contemplating what he had heard me say. If he had read my thoughts then my secret was out and I needed to do something about it. I was undecided on what to do, but I knew I needed to confront Edward. I moved to stand up from my seat, but my movements were halted by a hand resting itself on my forearm. My eyes met Alice's.

"He'll be fine, Audrey. He'll probably be back for Biology."

…But Edward wasn't back for Biology and I was left to label the stages of Mitosis alone, which wasn't a hard task, since I knew the answers from the book. I finished the practical exercise with time to spare and spent the remainder of the class trying to comprehend what had happened at lunch. Surely the only reason Edward would have left would have been if he'd discovered that I knew of the Cullens' secret.

_Wouldn't it?_

He had probably rushed to the hospital to notify Carlisle.

I rested my head against the lab bench, shutting out the groans of frustrated students and the clicking of pens, letting my thoughts wander.

_Well, you wanted the Cullens to know that you are aware that they're vampires, but… where does that leave you tomorrow?_

_

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_

**What are your thoughts?**

_**I value your feedback and I respond to every review.**_

**Here's some things to think about:**

**What on earth did Edward hear?**

**Did you expect Audrey to be late for school? **

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**Would you like another outtake at the 400 review mark?  
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I joined Twitter. I'll tweet about when I'm posting a new chapter, how the chapter is coming along etc. Follow me at karry4harry.

I'm writing the EPOV outtake now and I hope to post it this week. You were just too awesome in your reviews!

I don't know when chapter 16 will be up. I'm back at university and work now, so it maybe two weeks before you see the EPIC chapter.

All the best and thank you so much for reading,

Karry.


	16. The Mystery of Audrey Darling, by EC

A/N: Hi everyone! Firstly... apologies. I'm sorry for how long it has taken me to update. My writing was interupted by a close encounter with a goalward bound soccer ball, whose path was altered by a collision with my nose! I saved the goal, we won the game... my face lost. :( ...But I'm ok! Hope you enjoy the much awaited EPOV! For those who reviewed last chapter, you will get a preview of the next chapter. I'm sorry. I sort of wrote this all in one day.

**Exciting News: Page Turner has been nominated for 3 Glove Awards in the categories of Best Emmett, Best Alice and Best Story. If you would like to vote for this story head over to thegloveawards(dot)webs(dot)com. Voting starts on the 5th of August.**

TwiFic Promotions have reviewed this story and advertised it on their webpage. Head over to twi-ficpromotions(dot)blogspot(dot)com to check out other great Twilight Fanfictions.

As well as that awesome news, I joined Twitter. I'll tweet about when I'm posting a new chapter, how the chapter is coming along etc. Follow me at karry4harry.

Thank you for the amazing number of reviews last chapter received.

If you're a new reader, welcome and I'd love to hear from you. (I love to hear from existing readers, too!)

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**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

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Dad, you are an amazing editor!

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**Page Turner**

**The Mystery of Audrey Darling, by Edward Cullen**

"_Where is she? I hate not being able to know if she is alright…"_

I looked to Alice. Alice's fretful thoughts were embodied by her facial expression. Usually the perfect picture of comfort, while she was wrapped in Jasper's arms, Alice's uncharacteristically furrowed brow and scanning eyes reflected her agitation. Alice's thoughts had mimicked my own, but I had long since resigned myself to the fact that there was no use scanning the parking lot once again.

Shifting my stance, I watched as multitudes of teenagers meandered towards the school building in anticipation of the first bell, but the girl who had captured our interest was not among them. The brightness that her car and she, herself, brought to this dreary landscape was nowhere to be seen.

An unusual aching constricted my chest and I felt this incessant need to know where Audrey was. It was a feeling that had been absent for the majority of my existence, because of my family's unnatural strength, but I found myself worrying for someone's physical wellbeing. I needed to know that she, as a fragile human, was safe. Yet, beneath this worry, my mind still mulled over the possibility that she was anything but safe for us.

_What does she know?_

It was hard to comprehend how much my existence had been irrevocably altered in the passing of ten days. For the creatures of stone that we are, virtually restricted to the bodies and traits of our time of death, such change was unusual and thus was all the more noticed. Presently, I was aware that my thoughts, which had been primarily centred on my family, had found a new object of attention and the pull that had normally drawn me towards home had been somewhat diminished by an intense need to be close to _her_ - the enigma. The puzzle that is Audrey had made her such a prominent fixture in our thoughts and an influencing factor over our actions. She had bewildered us from the very moment that Alice had failed to _see_ her in the school hallway.

* * *

The school day had hardly begun before Alice had alerted me to a sudden movement of the clouds that would allow the inhabitants of Forks to see some sunlight. The weather had once again provided me with my much needed escape from the monotony of high school and teenage thoughts. Although, unlike other days, many people's thoughts had taken a new object of interest - the arrival of the chief of police's orphaned niece from Australia. Their thoughts suggested an interest that seemed to override their pity for the new arrival to Forks. For reasons that I could not fathom, many were keen to be the one to get the first glimpse of the girl, who they envisioned as being an extremely tanned, blonde haired and blue eyed beauty. Now waiting for my siblings in my car, I longed for the solitude of home and thanked a higher power for the rays of sun that would soon penetrate the cloud bank and put an end to me being hounded with thoughts of this girl.

"_Why couldn't I see her future? Why was it just… blank?"_

I focused in on Alice's thoughts, as she and the rest of my siblings efficiently took their places in my Volvo, perplexed beyond measure. Not hesitating to exit the school parking lot and begin the drive home, I glanced into the rear vision mirror and met Alice's wide eyes.

"What happened, Alice? Who is she?" I questioned urgently, effectively garnering the attention of the other occupants of the car, whose thoughts quickly had begun to speculate on what Alice had to share. No sooner than I had uttered my question, Alice answered and my mind became privy to a perfect replay of the events that were the source of Alice's consternation.

_A stranger, a girl with long, wavy brown hair, full lips and wide, probing olive green eyes crashed into Alice. An Australian accent punctured her introduction. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice. I'm Audrey Darling or, as the town-folk call me, 'Chief Swan's niece'"…_ _and then… everything went blank. Everything was grey. "…Maybe we'll run into each other, again."_

I broke the silence that had filled the car since my questions. I enquired further about Alice's experience.

"…Chief Swan's niece?"

"Yes, Edward," Alice replied, not in her normal cheerful tone and yet, surprisingly, her face held a smile. "As you can see, she is rather delightful."

I had to agree with Alice's assessment of this Audrey. There was something about her that was endearing, having seen her through Alice's eyes. _Perhaps it was her eyes, or her wit, or even her classic sounding name?_ However, my pondering was pushed to the back of my mind as I was once again reminded of the perplexity surrounding the girl.

"Finally the rest of us know what you're talking about!" Emmett exclaimed, exasperated. "So, Alice, you met the Chief of Police's ward." Emmett's burly figured shifted in the passenger side seat as he directed his question towards me.

"Why are you so worried about it, kid?"

Jasper entered the conversation before I had a chance to respond.

"Emmett, it's not just Edward who is worried by what occurred in Alice's interaction with the girl." Jasper's tone turned soothing as he addressed the woman in his arms, his southern origins evident. "What has you concerned, darling?"

My eyes stayed trained on the road ahead, as I automatically sped us towards home, but my thoughts were elsewhere. From everyone's thoughts, I was able to see Alice turn to address each of the three occupants of the car who were still yet to learn of the day's revelation.

"I couldn't see her future." Alice's brow was furrowed and her eyes turned pensive, before she continued. "From what I could see, she has no future. Everything was grey and blurry."

Emmett and Jasper shared in Alice's and my concern. Rosalie, on the other hand, did not and addressed us all, accordingly.

"While I don't mean to come off as insensitive, what's there to be concerned about?" She asked in an annoyed tone. "Humans die all the time."

Alice, incensed by Rosalie's crassness, responded automatically, but in a manner that was still rather subdued when compared with her thoughts.

"Rose, this is different from the other times. When a person has had no future I have seen their deaths. With Audrey, I couldn't see anything. Nothing…" Rosalie interrupted, Alice.

"So, that's her name is it? Audrey? You're worried that this Audrey has somehow disrupted your foresight?"

The tension in the car only increased due to Rosalie's tone. While Rose was curious about how Alice's gift had been affected, her thoughts suggested that she was more than a little concerned and disgruntled at the way in which Alice was conversing about the girl. In Rose's eyes, Alice's affectionate tone was a warning sign for an inconvenient link to a human. Any inkling of mine that suggested the truth in Rose's thoughts was overridden with my intrigue surrounding the situation.

A wave of calm swept over the car, essentially stilling the conversation for the briefest of moments. For everyone's part, this break was most welcome, especially Jasper, who was glad that his influence had worked as he'd desired. Jasper had not been appreciative of the way his wife had been hounded for information.

Eventually, Alice took an unnecessary deep breath before answering Rose.

"Yes."

I pulled the car to a stop in front of the house, but no one moved to exit the vehicle. Alice's eyes glazed over and I followed her thoughts as she looked towards our future. No matter which route she took, there were always patches of family time intermingled with periods of grey blurriness. It was extremely unsettling. It was almost as if the ground that we always expected to be there was being eroded away. Our footing was no longer firm.

As the clouds migrated across the sky to reveal the previously obscured sun, I found it ironic that a new cloud cover had entered our lives.

_"Alice is really unnerved by this, even though she has a fondness for the girl." _Jasper's thoughts reminded me of Rosalie's previous worries and alerted me to the need to soothe Alice, which took precedence. It dawned at me that I could suggest a means to comfort Alice and satisfy my intrigue.

"Perhaps we should take it upon ourselves to investigate how far Audrey's influence extends? See if our abilities are affected?" I said, meeting Jasper's almost ebony eyes and I was reminded of his and my need to hunt, having missed the previous family expedition. However, hunting could be put aside for the moment and my sentiments were echoed in Jasper's thoughts, as well.

"Yes." Jasper verbalised his approval. "We haven't encountered a situation like this before. Let's discuss this with Carlisle and see if he can offer any insight, but it is my belief that we should investigate this further."

* * *

As it had been on that first day, I once again felt the need to investigate Audrey, but this time it was in regards to her absence.

_"Go, Edward. Go and make sure she's safe. You still have ten minutes before class begins." _

Alice's thoughts, as she and Jasper headed towards the school building, gave me the encouragement I needed to go and check on Audrey's whereabouts. At a fast human pace, I moved towards the thick forest that bordered the school. I knew that Alice would have taken the task of checking on Audrey upon herself had Jasper not been leading her away. Jasper was strongly inclined to believe that interacting with Audrey was risking our secrecy. I, too still countenanced these opinions, but as much as I tried to stay disconnected from Audrey, it was in vain.

_"Edward, bring news of my Darling back to me." _Emmett's thoughts resounded loud and clear in my head, halting me in my steps. He knew how much his pet name for Audrey stirred me, but I knew, from his tone, that his words were sincere and that he very much cared more for Audrey's safety than aggravating me.

_Why does it aggravate you?_

"_Seriously, kid. Check that she's alright."_

Registering Emmett's thoughts, I was warmed by his concern and I replied in a soft voice, but one in which I knew that Emmett could hear, "I will."

With that, I entered the shelter of the forest and began to run as fast as my legs could carry me. Running had always been a time for reflection and relaxation for me, but, as I dodged the endless array of branches obstructing my path and obstructing my ability to get to Audrey more rapidly, it was anything but that. Nevertheless, I automatically began to reflect. Looking back at my actions of the past week I could see that they were driven by indecision. I couldn't decide whether to run to or away from Audrey. I had been at war with myself ever since the events of Audrey's first Saturday morning in Forks.

Approaching the edge of the forest and the white weatherboard home that I had visited nearly everyday of the past week, I scanned the area for any signs of humans who could witness what I was about to do. Having ascertained that the area was free of fleeting eyes, I stepped out from the shadows of the trees cautiously, just as I had done, accompanied by my family, on that first Saturday. Moving closer to the house, my ears discerned the unmistakable beating of Audrey's heart and I automatically exhaled in relief – a human idiosyncrasy that I had failed to loose. I found myself walking in time to her heartbeats as I moved around to the front yard of the house where the mature tree, whose branches had been my reserved seat for the last few days, stood. Though I didn't require confirmation, Audrey's yellow Beetle parked in the driveway added to my sense of relief.

_You know where she is, but why is she still at home? _

Without a second thought, I scaled the tree and perched myself on the branch closest to Audrey's bedroom window, but remained out of eyeshot of any occupant of the room. My senses registered steadied breathing coming from inside the room, but apart from that, I was only met with silence. No voice entered my mind.

On that Saturday, when Jasper, Alice and I had left our family behind in the forest, in order to determine whether Audrey only affected Alice's powers, I had been beyond disconcerted when I had failed to pick up any of Audrey's inner monologue or when Jasper had confirmed that her emotions were absent from his read. Jasper thoughts had echoed my sentiments exactly, which only fuelled his need to investigate the girl who we could gather no information on through the use of our abilities. Eventually, we had resorted to climbing this tree in order to move closer to her heart beat, which acted as a beacon for her position, finding ourselves in the position I was in now. Then, the silence of Audrey's mind had been discomforting, but now, I relished moments like these in which my own thoughts were the only occupants of my mind.

Having gathered that there was no movement coming from within, I began to worry that Audrey had been knocked unconscious. With as measured a movement I could make in my state of concern, I moved across the branch and glanced at the window. My eyes were met with the uniformity of the lavender curtains that shielded the bedroom from the outside world. Ever so carefully, I began to open the window, paying great attention for any reactions from within the house. Having been unable to detect any response to the squeak made as metal pushed against metal, I opened the window fully and was instantly engulfed by the scent that had haunted my existence since that Saturday.

* * *

"Dree, I'm going to open the window so the room can aerate and so the paint can dry more quickly. Just remember to close it tonight, ok?" I heard Chief Swan utter from inside the girl's bedroom that they had been busily painting the whole morning. Upon hearing this, Alice, Jasper and I had shuffled further along the branch that we were perched on, moving away from the window that was soon to be opened. We needed to remain unseen. While we had already ascertained that this Audrey was immune to our abilities, Jasper, Alice and I and, indeed, the rest of the family waiting in the forest, were transfixed with the need to discover why this was the case. _What is so special about this girl that sets her apart from other humans?_

The strangled and frustrated strains of Chief Swan soon filled my ears and I found myself venturing into his seemingly broken thoughts to try and understand the cause of such grunts.

"_Can't… window… open… what's she… stick?"_

While Chief Swan's internal voice was transmitted in pieces, the image that soon reached my mind's eye was crystal clear. Her brown, wavy hair was tied back from her face, swinging across her neck as she moved back from the window holding a thick twig. She looked up sheepishly and met her uncle's eyes and I took a quick breath. It was if Audrey Darling's wide olive green eyes were meeting my own. Her eyes were captivating. There was something safe about them that made you want to approach her.

_Where are these thoughts coming from, Cullen?_

"Why on earth would you put a stick there, Audrey?" Chief Swan's words reflected, from what I could detect, his perplexed thoughts. His gaze didn't deviate from Audrey and I was able to witness the expression on her face turn from one of contemplation to trepidation. She looked up at her uncle from beneath the thick lashes that framed her eyes and then I heard her hesitant response through my own ears.

"I'm scared that people could climb up the tree and break in." Instantly, I felt Jasper and Alice tense up beside me and I turned to meet their worried expressions with one of my own. Everyone's thoughts were on the same page. _Is she aware of our presence? Surely, she can't be._

"I'm sorry for being paranoid, Uncle Chuck," Audrey continued in a soft tone, still standing in her place away from the window. Chief Swan's thoughts turned towards comforting her and he moved to gently pat Audrey on the shoulder.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Dree. I understand. Keep the stick if it makes you feel comfortable, but just so you know, no one would ever think to break into the Chief of Police's house."

"_Hmmm… No. I just thought about it. A stick is no match for the likes of me!" _Emmett said flippantly to himself, but my own thoughts, which mirrored his, were genuine and brought about by a need to know more about Audrey – the anomaly.

Such contemplations were halted, instantly, when the bedroom window was slid open. The escaping air regaled me with a plethora of sensory pleasure and the monster inside of me rose to the occasion.

I was a predator and beyond that window was my prey.

I was a vampire and her scent called to me like no other's had in my existence.

What taste accompanied such a sweet scent?

My throat was parched with thirst. Venom pumped into my mouth and I leaned forward on the branch in anticipation of the prize feast that was but feet away. I began to move along the branch, vaguely aware of Alice and Jasper's questioning thoughts, but a new sound consumed all others – the Siren's call. Her heart beat. For a split second I regained my focus.

_She has life and you won't take that away from her._

With great difficulty I latched onto a thick branch and said between gritted teeth, "Get me out of here." Jasper and Alice didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

I hadn't cared about what Audrey had smelt like then, only that the scent emanating from her signaled a divine beverage. In the past week, while I had resisted the wine, I had taken pleasure in appreciating the bouquet. Every time I was near her, I breathed in the rare and distinctively sweet notes of Lily of the Valley, intermingled with hints of vanilla and peach. It was intoxicating, but now, as had been my constant struggle, I strived to maintain my composure knowing the task still at hand. My hunt, last night, made it slightly easier.

I fluidly drew back the lavender curtains and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight before me.

She was asleep. She was in bed and she was asleep. The mound of cotton that moved up and down in time with her breathing suggested as much, though I couldn't see her face.

Somehow, knowing all of this wasn't enough and I felt a strange impulse, one I didn't clearly understand, to enter the room and gaze at her defenseless, sleeping form. No, it was not the monster fuelling the impulse, but the persona – the human - behind the vampire, who was merely intrigued by the creature asleep in her bed.

My mind made up, I examined the window sill that I would need to rest on in order to enter the room and my eyes met the twig that had displayed her wariness and been the first hint at Audrey's uncanny awareness - the second being her ability to write the title of the biology lesson before even the teacher had. I knew she'd lied when she'd said that she'd seen the title of the lesson on Mr. Banner's papers, because I was quite aware that there was no such title on any of his papers. When I had confronted her with my knowledge, she'd looked uneasy, before using her wit to turn my own questions back at me, as if knowing that I, too, couldn't or wouldn't answer. I was left questioning what she knew and how she knew it.

_You're still questioning it. She is still an oddity. _

Audrey – the oddity – compelled me to take notice of her every move. As my mind became more and more consumed with trying to solve the puzzle and being concerned with Alice's closeness to Audrey, I grew more and more anxious that she would become integrated into our dangerous world. She was already, unwillingly, risking her life everyday that she was around me. So, when I heard her utter that she trusted me, I couldn't help but tell her not to. I needed to push her away to keep her safe. Once again, Audrey had ignored my severe tone and expression and had been aware enough to register my slip up with the lesson title and use it against me and I couldn't fathom a way to convey to her how dangerous I was.

How could I tell her that I'd been immensely fortunate that Alice and Jasper were in the vicinity when I had first smelt her scent? How could I tell her that if my family had not been spying on her with me that I'm sure that the beast within me wouldn't have yielded? I hated myself for having been almost overpowered by my inner demon. I was ashamed of my actions, despite my family's counseling, and I'd convinced myself that the best thing for everyone was for me to go away. I would have done so had my family not been with me. The idea had been vehemently opposed by Esme. She would not see her family divided and suggested that if I needed to leave that the whole family would follow. This was something Rose and, surprisingly, Alice had been fervently opposed to. Rose didn't wish to relocate and start over, but Alice was perplexed by Audrey, as was Carlisle, and reasoned that I wouldn't harm her, since our future was still riddled with patches of grey. Everyone's thoughts were filled with an unprecedented wariness over the uncertainty surrounding Audrey, when contemplating the situation at hand. The family decided that there was strength in numbers and suggested that I should stay - trusting me, when I couldn't trust myself.

_Trust…_

I'll never forget the forlorn look Audrey's eyes held when I'd questioned if she could be trusted. Her eyes had darkened as if a shadow of doubt had crossed her features.

I reached into my pocket and fingered the crinkled piece of paper that I now continuously carried with me. Moving my fingers across the surface, I registered the impressions of her pen and memorized the slant of her cursive.

_Trust me when I say that I can be trusted._

She trusted me and though my knowledge of Audrey was riddled with uncertainties, I wanted to trust her.

I fingered the stick and smoothed out some of the splinters.

_Is that what the removal of the stick had been about last night? Trust?_

Leaping onto the window sill, I quickly cleared the keyboard that I'd watched her position in front of the window last night. As I'd listened to her play, I felt as though I'd been privy to the Audrey that was shielded from me. I felt her loss, her heartbreak and her passion.

I felt her loneliness. It was as if she was using the music to release all her pent up worries. The music was her confidante.

_What couldn't she share with others?_

I could have listened to her play for hours, for, although she was not exceptionally technically skilled, she was able to bring the music to life. Audrey was able to give the music soul. I couldn't regret my act of giving her the keyboard or my decision to have Emmett deliver it to her. The joy on her face, as I'd watched her read my note through Emmett's eyes, had elicited in me a sense of satisfaction and relief.

Looking at the rise and fall of Audrey's bed linen, now, elicited the same feelings.

With light movements, I moved closer and closer to Audrey's sleeping form.

It was but a week ago that I was adamant in my attempts to keep a safe distance from Audrey.

Alice hadn't helped the situation.

* * *

While I had gorged myself over the weekend, I still found myself succumbing to the call of Audrey Darling's blood. Seeing her for the first time through my own eyes and seeing the blood pump through her veins only intensified my struggle. Emmett's strong grip had supported me, as the family distanced itself from the student body, relocating near the forest that bordered the school.

"_Maybe I can talk with her at lunch." _Alice's thoughts, which included the image of Audrey's smiling face, filled my head and I growled out in frustration.

"You will maintain your distance from her, Alice."

I was having difficulty controlling my tone as I addressed Alice and Jasper responded by encasing her in his arms and giving me a warning glare. While his thoughts were in agreement with my own, he took great offence to me addressing his mate in such a manner and, if he had to choose, he would always support his wife. The stress I had felt from various incidents over the last few days compounded and further fuelled my brash tone.

"Audrey can't afford your interest in her. It isn't safe for her. You can't see her future, or mine, when we're around her. You know that her scent is driving me insane. If you insist on me staying here, if this family insists on me staying here, then you…" Rosalie interrupted my rant with one of her own, but her tone was lower and more menacing.

"Forget about it being safe for her. What about our safety, our secrecy? Surely you don't intend on trying to befriend the girl?"

Jasper's influence exerted a measure of calmness over the group, but it did little good in abating my tension.

I ran my strained fingers through my hair, registering Alice's unchanged thoughts.

"Rosalie, I wouldn't do anything to jeopardise the safety of this family." Alice's voice was firm as she addressed Rosalie, before she turned to me. "Edward, I know that you are resisting a great temptation by being here, but even you, yourself, told us that it has been getting easier to stay in control when you're around her. If I spend time with her, then I might be able to understand her more… help fill in the missing pieces…"

I followed Alice's eyes as they looked beyond me and was confronted by the green eyes that had plagued my thoughts. Audrey Darling was staring at us, her slightly damp hair fluttering in the wind as it had done in the car park. Her blank expression became one of shock, before she raised her cheeks into a smile. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Alice's petite hand waving in Audrey's direction.

"Well, it seems you've declared this discussion over." I uttered furiously at Alice, before storming off towards the car park, leaving my family in my wake.

* * *

Now, I chastised myself for my abominable display.

Alice had been right. It was important to get to know Audrey.

I glanced around Audrey's space and was drawn to a picture hung on the wall. This picture was the cause of more bewilderment for my family than any other occurrence of the past week. The middle aged man and woman in the photo bore an uncanny resemblance to the hazy figures of Alice's vision that had surfaced that day in the cafeteria. More mysterious was the fact these hazy figures had appeared in a vision with a blurred Audrey. The vision had showed the middle aged couple, two younger females and Audrey standing before, what appeared to be, the Sydney Opera House. At first, what had been unsettling for Alice was the fact that she had had a vision of Audrey, but when that subsided and she contemplated what she had seen, she'd displayed discomfort about Audrey's location in the vision. Her thoughts displayed how much she valued Audrey's friendship and what it would mean to loose her human friend. My shoulders had tightened upon seeing what Alice had seen and my mind was grappling for answers.

_Would Audrey leave Forks?_ _Why am I upset by that idea?_

Alice's visit to Audrey's bedroom one afternoon, the room in which I was now standing, had increased our confusion tenfold.

_Had Alice seen Audrey's past?_

I gazed at the photo and at Audrey's parents, who were supposedly dead. My brow furrowed as I crept towards Audrey's bedside and gazed at her sleeping form. Her long, brown hair was splayed out in waves across her pillow. She slept on her side with her right hand tucked underneath her cheek, but her face was anything but tranquil. Her forehead was scrunched up, as if she were struggling to comprehend something, and her eyelids fluttered in disturbance from rapid eye movements. Her breathing quickened. She was dreaming.

Her head shaking was all the confirmation I needed to tell me that this dream was anything but pleasant and a strange urgency built up within me, almost screaming out at me to wake her up. Without hesitation, I extended my right hand towards her cheek and, ever so softly, brushed my fingers against it. Warmth sparked at my fingertips and filled my chest, but I had little time to enjoy the feel of her soft skin against my own as she began to stir.

I leapt out of the window, but was only able to partially complete the normally effortless job of closing it before Audrey was sitting up in her bed. I chastised myself for my recklessness beneath my breath. _Would she notice?_

Hearing footfalls drawing closer to the window, I descended the tree and scurried into the shadows, noticing the tiny flecks of white beginning to speckle the green landscape. With a sigh, I watched with concern as a distressed Audrey forcefully closed her window.

_Something is wrong with her…Too many questions surround her – and yet I do trust her. Why?_

_... It's time for answers._

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_Exciting News: Page Turner has been nominated for 3 Glove Awards in the categories of Best Emmett, Best Alice and Best Story. If you would like to vote for this story head over to thegloveawards(dot)webs(dot)com. Voting starts on the 5th of August. _

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Karry.**  
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	17. Van

**Sorry if you received a new alert. I just fixed a typo**

A/N: I know you have probably been waiting anxiously for this chapter. I'm sorry that it has taken me a while to give this to you. Anyhow... without further ado I give you one EPIC chapter that may, or may not, have a cliffhanger ending.

Thank you for the amazing number of reviews last chapter received.

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

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Dad, you are an amazing editor!

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**

Page Turner

17. Van

My eyes were sealed tight, dreading the fate that I knew would await me. My mind was devoid of sound, even though I was aware that a piercing noise was making me vaguely cognisant. I cowered down, trying to conserve my last moments of warmth before the abrupt cold hit me with full force. My heart rate spiked further when an unexpected firm hand grasped my arm and pulled gently in one fluid movement. No longer able to turn a blind eye, I slowly peered up from beneath my lashes and was met with the face that I now knew so well…

"Time to get up, Dree." Charlie's voice carried over the shrilling tones of my alarm clock. "No sleeping through that alarm, today!"

I groaned as I sat up in my bed, my torso now deprived of the warmth that my blankets provided, and widened my bleary eyes to see Charlie turning off my alarm clock.

_Must I get up? …Must I face the day? _

"That's it. Rise and shine!" Charlie appeared mildly amused by my feigned death stare, shaking his head before moving towards my window to open the curtains. My eyelids, heavy with exhaustion, had no trouble sheltering my wide pupils from the few feeble rays of additional light filtering in from outside and closed once again. My ears registered the increasing squeaking of the floorboards, indicating Charlie's impending re-approach.

"Come on. If you open those eyes of yours you'll be able to see a thick layer of snow," Charlie said more gently, apparently trying a new tactic in his attempts to stir me from my sleepy state. Not daring enough to open my eyes, I imagined him to be stood, hands in his pant pockets, shifting his gaze from my dreary face to the winter wonderland beyond the window.

_If only Charlie knew that snowfall was anything but tempting for me on this particular day…_

Whilst the appearance of a heavy layer of snow would have once excited me, it now unnerved me with images of perilous roads and… car parks.

_Come on, Audrey. You didn't deprive yourself of some much needed sleep last night, just so that you could avoid today! I thought you had more courage! Up you get!_

My self chastising complete, I sighed before slowly opening my eyes. Just as I'd suspected, Charlie was in his customary stance and smiling at me, but his smile fell and one of his hands soon left his pocket and rested itself on my shoulder as he scrutinised my face. His brown eyes held an air of concern as they registered an uneasiness that I was unable to conceal. Although Charlie's actions were meant to comfort, the hand resting upon my shoulder only served as a reminder of the weight that I bore.

"You didn't sleep well last night did you, Dree?" Charlie enquired, with a crinkled brow. I brushed a hand through my tangled hair.

"Is it that obvious, Uncle Chuck?" I wiped some sleep from my eyes and chuckled, but it was a strained laugh that seemed to heighten the tension rather than quell his doubts. For some reason, I didn't want Charlie worrying about me. I didn't want him to know that when I had slept, I had slept rather well. I instinctively knew that I couldn't tell him the real reason why I was now looking at him with tired, dark eyes.

The truth was that I'd spent most of the night staring at my laptop screen, almost as if I were cramming for a test the next day and, really, I would have to pass a test of sorts. I'd found myself scanning my soft copy of Twilight, obsessed with trying to extract any type of information that would help me escape today unscathed. Finally convincing myself, in the early hours of the morning, that I'd gained as much information as I could from Meyer's description of the van incident, I'd shut down my computer and collapsed onto my bed. I welcomed the few hours of unconsciousness that lay ahead as I entered a surprisingly dreamless sleep. As far as I was aware, my sleep had only been interrupted by my alarm clock and Charlie's boisterous voice following through on his promise that had been made over dinner the previous night, making sure that history didn't repeat itself and that I actually made it to school on time, today. Whilst I'd initially been annoyed at the volume of Charlie's voice, I realised, now, that his actions this morning were only done with my best interests in mind. My actions, on the other hand, had a more self-serving intent, even though the legitimacy of these actions may be warranted, and had caused Charlie to worry.

My face flushed and I felt the tingles of embarrassment as I gazed into his concerned chocolate brown eyes. This was the man who had hurried to his daughter's side, greatly concerned for her safety after the incident with the van. This was the man who had loved Bella Swan and who had supported her and cared for her despite her sudden disappearances and depression. Charlie Swan was a loving man and I was a recipient of his love. I knew that if, God forbid, I should find myself in a slippery situation today, Chief Swan would be there, but, most importantly, my Uncle Chuck would be there and he wouldn't hesitate to run to my side, concerned for my wellbeing.

I offered Charlie a small smile that slightly diminished the worry lines on his forehead.

"Do you know why you're having trouble sleeping?" Charlie queried. "I mean… this is two days now, Dree." Charlie inclined his head forward, as if he was imploring me to answer, and shifted his stance.

_Well, yeah, I do, Uncle Chuck. You see, I was visited by this bizarre woman in, I think, a dream and now I'm worried about being squished by a van. _

"Dree… talk to me."

Charlie's voice awoke me from my formulation of my internal response, which I somehow imagined would not be received too well. I hated lying to Charlie, but I knew that I had to offer him some explanation.

"I keep… I keep thinking about Mum and Dad," I said softly, whilst examining the stitches on my quilt. I did continually think about my family back home, but I felt awful for saying that this was the cause of my changed sleeping patterns. The silence that followed my lie encouraged me to continue.

"It's just something I have to deal with. I'll… get through it." I inclined my nodding head upwards to meet Charlie's face.

Charlie sighed and began to massage the back of his neck.

"If you want to talk about anything, Dree, you know…" Charlie trailed off and turned his attention to the window. I greatly appreciated Charlie's offer, but I knew that I couldn't talk to him about my true worries without lying.

"She would have liked, today… your Mum. She loved the snow."

Once again, despite the sentiment of the moment, I was indirectly reminded of a skidding blue van.

I breathed in deeply and followed Charlie's approach to the window, watching as he moved from side to side, as if trying to get a better glimpse of something beyond the snow covered tree branches.

_What is he looking at?_

My intrigue encouraged me to pull back the bed covers and, just as I perched myself on the edge of the bed, ready to stand and move towards the window, Charlie turned around and began to walk towards the door.

"I think I'm going to go and put snow chains on the Cruiser and the Beetle, Dree. There's more snow than I thought."

When Charlie uttered the word "Beetle" my mind began to kick into gear. If I drove the Beetle to school, I would be putting my new car in danger. Whilst I could easily dodge incoming traffic, a parked Beetle – my very new, gorgeous, parked Beetle – was a potentially sitting duck and could truly be battered and dinted and bruised.

_You can't risk putting the Beetle in harms way. It's not like Bella's rusty, old, rundown truck. _

"Uncle Chuck!" I called hastily, stopping Charlie from moving beyond the doorway. A startled Charlie stopped his exit and quickly turned his head in my direction.

"…Dree?"

I swallowed nervously.

_Will this work?_

"I… ah… was wondering if you could perhaps drive me to school today. I don't feel comfortable driving in these conditions and… um… feeling the way I am currently feeling."

Charlie studied me for a moment and then smiled.

"You don't have to be nervous, Dree. Of course I'll take you to school, if that's what you want, but you'll have to get ready quickly. Think you can do that?" Charlie cocked his head to the side in a challenging, but playful, manner.

"Yeah!"

I sprang up from the bed smiling and nodding in Charlie's direction, fuelled by the knowledge I now had a few less things to worry about. With me not driving to school, I could avoid setting foot in the car park completely and, at the same time, I could prevent Tyler Crowley from having to find the money to pay for the repairs that would need to be made on my car.

_Yeah, you try and tell yourself that! You just couldn't bear to see a chip in your car's glossy yellow finish!_

Charlie shook his head at me with a grin and began, once again, to head towards the door. I hurried over to my wardrobe ready to extract the clothes that I had carefully selected for today, a choice based on mobility and comfort requirements that were essential should dodging be required. Surprised that I couldn't hear Charlie's footfalls, I peered around my cupboard's partially open door. Charlie was leant against the door frame watching me and his expression still reflected serious concern. I raised my eyebrows questioningly at him.

Upturning his mouth slightly, Charlie responded, "By the way, Dree. I think that it's very responsible of you to ask me to drive… ah, but are you sure you're alright to go to school?"

… And there it was – the escape ticket that I had so desperately craved. I could take it and I could avoid the day altogether. I'm not sure why, but, as I pondered this, my chest felt heavy and I intuitively knew in that moment that I was meant to go to school today. I didn't know if the Cullens would even be there. I didn't know if Edward would be there after the lunch incident yesterday. I didn't know what he had heard, or what had caused him to leave so mysteriously, but I knew that I needed to see him and explain myself. I knew that any chance I had been given to interact with the Cullens, even if the chances of deeper interaction were slim, must be taken. This sudden realisation frightened me immensely, but it excited me at the same time. Was this an unhealthy obsession? I wasn't sure. I was unsure about many things, but I was certain of my need to be at school today, even if it meant that I may have to make it through an obstacle course.

_But you won't have to avoid anything, Audrey. You're well prepared and all you have to do is stay away from that car park! _

"Yes, Uncle Chuck. I don't want to fall behind. I'm fine… Nothing that a cup of tea won't fix," I replied to Charlie, assuredly, before grinning impishly.

Charlie folded his arms across his chest and raised his brow in my direction.

"Let me guess. You'd like me to put the kettle on to boil?"

I forced back the need to laugh and tried to reply in a nonchalant tone.

"Only if you want to, Uncle Chuck."

Charlie rolled his eyes at me and turned to exit the room.

"Get ready, quickly, Dree. You'll need time to drink your tea!" I heard Charlie's voice carry up the stairs and it brought a smile to my face. Even though I'd only known him for a short period of time, I'd come to love Charlie.

I made sure I told him this when he pulled up into the small parking lot by the school office. Although I'd convinced myself that I would make decisions that would surely help me make it through the day unscathed, my instincts still registered the element of danger of this morning, drawing out of me a need to verbalise my feelings.

Charlie turned to me, after placing the car in park, speaking in a tone laced with genuine concern.

"You take care today, Dree."

_Perhaps he's sensing your worry._

Attempting to offer Charlie some comfort, I smiled warmly at him as I met his eyes.

"I will. Thanks for dropping me off." I moved to get out of the car.

"You're welcome, Dree. I'll see you this afternoon."

_Actually, you'll probably be seeing me later this morning when you come and investigate a van accident. Hopefully, I won't be on an ambulance gurney…_

"Yep. See you. Love you," I said, holding the door open. Charlie appeared taken aback at my words and I saw his adam's apple bob underneath the collar of his jacket as he swallowed.

"Love you, too, Dree." Charlie's voice shook with emotion and he returned my warm smile. I was just about to close the door, when Charlie spoke again.

"…And Dree," Charlie made sure he'd garnered my attention before continuing. "Watch out for the ice."

This time, I was the one who swallowed before replying.

"Don't worry, Uncle Chuck. I will."

With that, I closed the door and waved to Charlie as he exited the school grounds and drove onto Spartan Avenue.

_And so Operation Don't-Get-Squished-By-A-Van begins…_

I heard the scrunch of the snow beneath my shifting feet as I turned around to better take in my surroundings. Cuddling my parka to me and zipping it up, I glanced at the distant school parking lot that seemed to be populated by a few cars already, but none of them were the silver Volvo that I was interested in. There were a few cars parked in front of the school office, but there was no noise to suggest that the place was inhabited. It was eerily silent. Slinging my messenger bag over my shoulder, I decided that I wanted to experience the feeling of walking in snow. Taking a few steps, I turned back to see the few footprints that I had left behind and smiled to myself. My head snapped up in the direction of the car park, the sound of an unruly convoy of students' cars soon overriding the sound of my feet compressing the snow. I caught sight of a silver car turning into the lot and, before I knew it, my feet were carrying me closer and closer to the danger zone. I halted my movements at the edge of the car park, recognising my need to keep my distance, but, at the same time, satisfying my desire to have a good vantage point. I'd stopped just by a set of outdoor tables and chairs. They were covered in snow, but I figured that since my parka was waterproof I could park myself there and wait and watch, so as to not be conspicuous by my absence.

Ensconced at my station, I was now able to confirm that the silver car was indeed the renowned silver Volvo. My heart pounded against my chest and my short breaths made a series of small clouds in front of my face, before slowly fading into the cold morning air.

_They're here. _

Their physical perfection stood out against all the other students intermingled amongst the cars. Alice was the first to bounce out of the car, closely followed by Jasper, the pair seemingly engrossed in deep conversation. Soon, the long, golden tendrils of Rosalie's hair were visible fluttering in the wind as she linked hands with a typically beaming Emmett. My converse clad right foot tapped against the snow as I waited anxiously to see if that noticeable bronze hair would soon exit the car. However, my attention was momentarily drawn to the previously vacant parking space four cars down from where the Volvo stood.

I watched intently as the curly haired head that could only have belonged to Jessica Stanley exited the vehicle. I grasped the bench that I was sitting on. According to my research last night, Jessica had unknowingly parked her car in the very position that Tyler's Van would later find itself skidding towards. Once again, I was reminded of how my presence had changed the course of the story I knew. With Bella not here, the car space was free and I doubted that the Cullens would be willing to risk revealing their supernatural abilities in order to save anyone else.

_For heaven's sake get out of there, Jessica..._

I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard someone call Jessica over to the other side of the parking lot and took even greater comfort in seeing her follow the voice. Just because I wanted to avoid being in the path of the van, didn't mean that I wanted someone else to take my place. If I had my way, only Tyler's van and now Jessica's car would be damaged today.

I shifted my gaze four cars back up and noticed Alice moving her head from side to side as if scanning the crowd. Eventually, her amber irises met my eyes and, upon doing so, her face brightened. She waved in my direction, beckoning me to make my way over to her and then turned her attention back to Jasper. As much as I wanted to head over to the Cullens, I knew that, not only for my own safety but for theirs as well, I shouldn't. Deciding to find a task that I could appear to be doing, as an excuse to say in my current position, I opened my bag and begrudgingly took out my copy of Wuthering Heights that still needed to be read. As I brought my eyes down to page level, a brilliant shade of bronze became apparent against the backdrop of the snow covered leaves of the surrounding forest. Slowly, I raised my head to meet his enquiring glance. Edward was staring at me intently, but not harshly. His golden eyes held questions, that much was apparent. Once again, I found myself enraptured by his mere presence and I couldn't help the small curvature of my lips that happened as a result of looking in his direction. After the events of yesterday, I didn't even expect my silent greeting to be acknowledged. You can imagine my shock when Edward's mouth moved to give me his signature crooked grin. Pin pricks of warmth erupted over my skin and only intensified when Edward appeared to be taking calculated steps in my direction. I was fixated on his approach and was only shaken from the trance in which I was held when, from the corner of my eye, I saw Jessica walking backwards towards her car, fishing her keys from her bag. At the same time, I saw a large tinge of blue van on the horizon.

_This can't be happening!_

Before I could comprehend my actions, I had propelled myself off the bench and was running across the snow covered ground as fast as my legs would carry me.

"Jessica!" I called as I ran, but I failed to catch her attention. "Jessica!" She stopped in front of the back of her car and began fiddling with her keys and, had this not been real life, the image of the van drawing closer and closer to Jessica's back would have been a thrilling cinematic experience. If this was a movie, my thumping heart would have been the soundtrack.

"Jessica Stanley, move! Move!"

Finally, she appeared to register my screaming voice and her eyes met mine with a look of disdain. I wasn't interested in how much of a weirdo I might be appearing to be in the moment; I had tunnel vision and I continued to propel myself forward with the sole intent of getting Jessica out of harms way. As I drew closer and closer to Jessica's position, her eyes widened in fear for her safety.

_She should be in fear of her safety, but I shouldn't be the object of that fear!_

A high pitched screech hit my ears as I reached Jessica and I knew I had to act fast.

"What on earth…" Jessica cried and tried to hit me as I placed my hands on her chest and forcefully pushed her away from the oncoming vehicle spinning wildly across the parking lot. As if we were the two end balls of a Newton's Cradle, my adrenalin fuelled momentum was passed onto Jessica and she toppled down against the asphalt a good distance away from her car.

Then several things seemed to occur simultaneously. Relieved that I had successfully removed Jessica from a dangerous position, I was ready to head to safety myself. Taking an initial stride forward to drive my retreat, I felt my foot slip out from under me and I soon felt my left hip collide hard with the black ice. My mind wasn't registering the pain of the fall, with my eyes perfectly positioned to see the side of a dark blue van getting closer and closer. Refusing to tamely surrender, I found myself trying with all my resolve to get grip enough to fling myself out of the way, but my attempts were cut short as my right ankle continually gave away beneath my weight. Slipping and sliding against the ground, time slowed to a perverse crawl and I felt my eyes grow wide and my lips quivering as I prepared myself for the inevitable impact.

Before I could clasp my eyes shut, I felt something grasp my legs and I was soon flung backwards and cradled against something cold and hard. Transfixed in the moment, I saw a firm, pale hand reach out and deflect the spinning van's bumper bar slightly to my left, leaving an imprint in the metal body of the van. Watching the van come to rest, on its side against the back of Jessica's car, I gasped out laboured breaths, as a bedlam of sounds filled my head. I clutched on to the soft material resting against my hands. My diaphragm was making uncontrolled staccato movements as my body and mind tried to cope with the events that had just come to pass. I was vaguely aware of a hand rubbing soothing circles against my back, through the protective warmth of my parka, and it slowly but surely dawned on me that I had just been rescued. I inclined my head upwards and met my saviour's face.

"Audrey? Are you alright?" Edward's whisper was muted, yet frantic. His concerned gaze never deviated from my eyes. Edward's breath, and his accompanying scent blowing into my face, invigorated my senses, shaking me from my stupor.

Watching Edward's eyes flicker across my face, I sighed out the response that was fighting to be heard.

"Thank you, Edward."

Edward shifted his gaze from my face to look down at the ground, seemingly unsure of how to respond. A few seconds passed before he once again met my eyes and uttered, "You're welcome, Audrey."

It was then that I realised that I was still holding on to some soft material. Looking down at my hands, I realised that I was clinging onto Edward's shirt for dear life. Embarrassed, I instantly retracted my hands, letting them fall against my body that was encased protectively in Edward's firm arms.

As the collective shock began to abate, people slowly escaped the trance in which they had been held and now reacted. With the screams and groans of the onlookers getting closer and closer, I returned my attention back to the cause of all the commotion – the mangled piece of metal that was Tyler's van. As I processed the recent events, my eyes took note of the clear indentation on the bumper bar where the hands that now held me against Edward's chest would fit into providentially. Worried that this would draw unwanted attention to Edward's supernatural intervention, I swallowed before gazing into Edward's topaz eyes.

"You should let go of me and quickly remove your handprint from the metal," I suggested cautiously in an almost inaudible whisper. Edward's eyes widened at my words, before he slowly sat me up. I registered his body's absence momentarily, before once again feeling his presence at my side. I chanced a quick glance at the back of the van and there was now no handprint to be seen. I smiled up at Edward, but Edward's face remained hard and riddled with concern. Even now, as Edward's golden gaze scrutinised me intensely, and after the unnerving events of the morning, I felt as though a weight had been lifted from my chest.

_Now he knows that I'm aware that he's different. _

Edward's brow furrowed before my ears were met with his intrigued voice.

"How did you know to push Jessica out of the…"

But Edward's query was interrupted by a group of people that had now surrounded us, their faces lined with tears. I relaxed my tensed jaw. I realised that questions would come, but I appreciated the extra time that I had now been provided with to formulate how to respond. Shouts from the group echoed across the car park, mainly concerned for Tyler's wellbeing, but some instructions were screamed in our direction.

"Stay still! An ambulance has been called," A voice that sounded greatly like Mrs. Cope's reached my ears, reverberating off the cars that encased us.

I registered the scurry of activity around us as I stayed put, but sitting with my legs outstretched against the asphalt was making me extremely cold. Instinctively, I began to bring my knees towards my chest, but I halted my movements, wincing, as a sharp pain sprang from my right ankle. Edward, readily noticing my discomfort, knelt down next to my legs and gazed up at me as if wanting to garner my permission. On my nod, Edward's long, cool fingers could be felt examining my throbbing ankle. I breathed out heavily, not so much from the pain, but from the feelings that this action evoked in me.

I was nearly made disorientated by Edward's golden eyes as they met my own, upon concluding his examination.

"It's not broken, but I think you may have sprained it." Edward's voice was directed at me, but his eyes seemed to give away that he was mulling over a million thoughts in his mind. Then and there, I knew I had to say something.

"Edward." He looked up at me from beneath his eyebrows. "I know that you risked a lot, today. I'm extremely grateful," I whispered sincerely. In my momentary pause, Edward spoke up, his voice firm.

"You can't say things like that, Audrey, without giving me an explanation."

Edward's eyes were fixated on me, as if he were trying to compel me to spill my secrets.

_You're going to have to explain something to him, but now's not the right place to do so._

I huffed out a breath and looked up, so as to break eye contact with Edward, whilst running my hands through my hair.

"Audrey, Edward, are you alright?" Alice's delicate and care laced voice called from behind our temporary cage. EMT's could already be heard in the vicinity and I hoped that Edward and I would soon be free. I knew that Alice was genuinely concerned and so I began to offer her a response.

"Yes, Alice, I'm…" Edward cut my answer short and disputed it.

"Alice, Audrey is not fine. She has a sprained ankle and, I suspect, she needs to be treated for shock," Edward spoke in a strained tone. I glared in Edward's direction, but didn't utter a word.

With Alice promising to inform the EMT's of my situation, Edward and I found ourselves sitting in a strained silence. Edward had obviously recognised that I would not answer his questions here. His frustration at my silence was displayed by the way he sat pinching the bridge of his nose. Thankfully, the EMT's, with the help of Coach Clapp and Mr. Varner, finally removed the debris surrounding us and soon had me lying on a gurney, which I'd moved to without complaint. Although Edward, for obvious reasons, had refused a stretcher vehemently, I wasn't going to pretend to be alright when I knew I wasn't. Upon standing up, I'd realised that I was both physically and emotionally drained by the events that had come to pass. Whilst Edward had shown frustration towards me, he was still attentive of my well being and I could see him keeping a watchful eye (and I'm sure a watchful ear) on the EMT's as they began to transport me to their vehicle.

As I felt the gurney come to a stop, I heard and saw Mrs. Cope direct a frantic Charlie in my direction, whilst keeping the corner of my eye trained on the whereabouts of a certain shade of bronze.

"I hope that she's okay, Chief Swan." Mrs. Cope's tone, for once, suggested sincerity. Charlie responded by addressing her in a much less authoritarian tone than he had done previously.

"Thank you for all your help, Mrs. Cope."

_Perhaps old wounds have now been healed._

No sooner than I had heard those words I felt a warm, rough hand grasp my own and I looked up into the worry etched face and watery brown eyes of my Uncle.

"Dree," Charlie whispered. I felt my eyes grow watery just from the pure emotion held in his tone as he spoke my name.

"I'm cool, Uncle Chuck." I chuckled before saying, "Nothing that a cup of tea can't fix." I registered Charlie's small chuckle and shake of the head. "I'll see you at the hospital, Uncle Chuck."

Charlie responded by gently squeezing my hand and nodding, before turning his attention to the approaching small vampire who had no trouble making her presence known.

"Chief Swan, would you mind if I came to the hospital with you?" Alice asked in a tone that would render anyone's ability to say no useless. With Charlie and Alice heading towards the cruiser, I felt as though I were in a world of my own, until I registered Edward's presence beside me, once again. It struck me as ironic that it was Edward who was so intent on getting answers from me when he had been so keen to deprive Bella of her answers. It was almost as if the tables had turned.

Edward's eyes bored into mine and his strong jaw moved hesitantly before he whispered, "Tell me."

I sighed before responding.

"Later."

That seemed to be enough for him, as he nodded, a few stray locks falling onto his forehead, before leaving my sight. The EMT's then raised me into the ambulance. The short trip to the hospital gave my mind the time it needed to comprehend the many happenings of the morning.

I sighed as I felt the ambulance come to a stop and heard the doors being opened.

_He wants explanations, Audrey… and boy have you got a lot of explaining to do._

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**What are your thoughts?**

_**I value your feedback and I respond to every review.**_

Here's some things to think about:

What did you think of how Audrey handled the situation?

Do you think Audrey had a more realistic reaction than Bella did to almost being squished by a van?

What did you make of Edward's response to Audrey's actions?

Am I mean for making you wait for the hospital scene?

Did you like the Charlie/Audrey scenes?

I'm continually humbled by everyone's support. I'll update as soon as I can. Unfortunately, I have a busy week ahead.

**_Remember, reviewers get a preview of next chapter!_**

All the best,

Karry.**  
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	18. Deja Vu Again

A/N: I enjoyed writing this chapter, but I'm really nervous about whether you all will like it or not. I hope you enjoy reading it! I'd love to know what you think about it!

Don't be surprised if you receive another alert for this chapter being uploaded later in the week. I will probably spot something that needs editing.

Thank you for the amazing number of reviews last chapter received. I'm truly lucky to have such awesome readers! Remember, if you review I'll send you a preview of next chapter!

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

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Dad, you are an amazing editor!

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**Page Turner**

**18. Déjà Vu… Again **

The smell of sterility blanched out all other odours and though I knew that the sheets I lay on had been cleaned, the sensation that was prominent, above all others, was one of feeling caged. It was fair to say that - whilst I appreciated being treated by trained people in a well equipped medical facility - I was uncomfortable, both physically and mentally. I attempted to find some semblance of comfort as I shuffled against the sheets, but being limited to lying on your back with your right foot raised wasn't exactly the cosiest position in the world. However, it did ensure that I was blessed with an excellent view of the ceiling, which I found myself examining as I mulled over how to deal with the situation that I knew would inevitably occur.

_One crack…_

_What are you going to tell him, Audrey?_

… _Two cracks…_

_He's going to question your source of knowledge and you can't tell him about the book. No. Mavis, be she a figment of your imagination, or not, was quite adamant about that… and even if she was imagined, you can't say that your subconscious wasn't telling you something._

…_Yep. That's a third crack…_

_Gosh! You sound like The Count from Sesame Street!_

… _Oh, the irony!_

_Okay. Okay. Get back on task, Audrey!_

_Umm… you can make him think that you have a psychic ability like Alice. That could work, couldn't it? Maybe…_

"Man, Audrey, I'm so sorry!" Tyler said, anxiously, for the umpteenth time. His voice, once again, interrupted my very important ponderings and, with my nerves already on edge, I found myself getting easily irritated.

_Yes! You've apologised, already! Now get over it and leave me to think about how to explain myself to the vampire who is most probably talking with his doctor-father-vampire, whilst I still have a chance!_

Barely suppressing a huff, I stopped gazing at the ceiling, with its three cracks, and looked towards the adjacent bed on my left. Tyler, unlike me, was propped up on a number of pillows and was shaking his head and looking down at his lap. I noticed that the bandages covering the myriads of cuts across his face seemed to be crinkling more and more with every apology. Much of my initial frustration abated and my heart began to ache for the guy who lay in the bed next to me and who was in far worse shape than I was physically and, perhaps, even mentally. Whilst I had to deal with determining how best to explain myself to a family of vampires and, at the same time, manage to keep certain things secret from them, Tyler was plagued with the belief that he had caused people distress and harm. I breathed out deeply upon recognising that I didn't envy his position over the one I now found myself in.

Before I could even think about it, I once again found myself trying to ease his obvious worry and guilt.

"Tyler," I said softly, trying to garner his attention without startling him. I watched as he tentatively raised his head and, eventually, met my eyes, before I continued.

"I forgive you. It's alright. I know you didn't mean to lose control of your van," I spoke in a soothing tone. My words seemed to have the desired effect, as the obvious tension that his face bore lessened. Nevertheless, I felt the need to continue, because I could see that Tyler still harboured a need to make up for his actions, which I believed sprung from his anger at himself.

… _And the last thing you want is for him to feel like he needs to ask you to the dance._

"Please, stop worrying about me, Tyler. I'm fine. You can make me feel better by focusing on getting healed, yourself." I smiled in his direction and slowly, but surely, Tyler nodded and responded with a small smile of his own.

I was about to begin planning my discussion with Edward when I observed Tyler's eyes light up in realisation as he glanced at my injured ankle, now free of an ice pack. I fixed my gaze at him, rather perplexed.

"How did you get out of the way? I thought I was going to hit you, because you couldn't get up," Tyler said in a puzzled tone, whilst pointing at my raised, swollen ankle. I followed his finger before returning my eyes to his face and responding.

"Oh! Edward dragged me out of the way, just in time. I was lucky he was nearby."I saw no harm in lying to try and protect the Cullens' human charade. I just hoped that my tone sounded sincere.

Confusion was the overriding feature on Tyler's face as he continued his questioning and I began to worry if I had lied successfully.

Tyler reached to scratch his head. "Everything was happening so fast. … Who did you say it was?"

"Edward Cullen."

Although they were covered by bandages, I could see Tyler's eyebrows rise.

"Seriously? Cullen? I only saw you and, before that…"

Tyler stopped mid sentence as if having an epiphany. The following words that left his mouth effectively paralysed me.

"Audrey, I saw you run and push Jessica out of the way, but… but you were running when I turned into the parking lot. How did you know that Jessica was in danger?"

_Crap!_

I was at a loss for words. I had no idea what plausible excuse I could come up with, but I knew that I needed to provide some explanation.

_That's all you seem to be giving these days – explanations!_

"She didn't know that Jessica was in danger," an assured, musical voice pierced the silence from behind me.

I quickly crooked my neck in its direction and, in the process, pinched a nerve, but the sight of Edward seemed to dull the neck pain and ease my worry. Edward glanced down and met my eyes, momentarily, making my insides twist, before looking directly at Tyler. I was surprised when Edward appeared to chuckle to himself.

"Audrey thought that _she_ was the one in danger of being hit by the snowball that I held in my hand." Edward smiled down in what I assumed was Tyler's direction and I relaxed my shocked expression before slowly turning my head to witness Tyler's reaction to Edward's explanation. Tyler's eyes held an air of amusement and surprise as he watched Edward move to stand at the end of my bed and turn his dazzling gaze in my direction.

"Am I right in suggesting that, as you were running away from me, you realised that Jessica was in danger, Audrey?"

At that moment, it was extremely hard to concentrate on anything else besides Edward. I was transfixed by his golden gaze and the soft textures of his voice. However, I prevented myself from ogling the amazing specimen before me and maintained enough of my concentration to realise that I had to answer.

_Get yourself together, Audrey!_

I nodded my head and briefly closed my eyes in an attempt to shake myself out of my stupor.

"Yes. Edward's right, Tyler," I said meeting Tyler's seemingly satisfied face. Tyler nodded his head and spoke to me in a knowing tone.

"Cool."

He then quickly turned his attention to Edward and I readily followed.

"Listen, man, I've apologised to Audrey, already. I'm sorry for…" but Tyler was prevented from finishing by Edward's raised hand.

"No blood, no foul." Edward said, rather amused at his words.

I managed to contain myself from mumbling the words along with Edward, but I failed to prevent the small smirk that appeared on my face and the resulting roll of my eyes, which I know Edward noticed.

Luckily, I was only the recipient of a short lived glare, because, at that moment Carlisle strolled up to my bedside, looking just as polished, handsome and wise as he had done the only other time I'd been in his company. With Carlisle standing besides Edward, it amazed me how the people of this town could be so ignorant of the fact that, even though the members of the Cullen family weren't blood related – well, technically they sort of were blood related – they all had similar and very unusual physical traits, such as the excessively pale complexion and striking golden irises.

I watched as Carlisle's striking eyes scanned my admission notes, before he looked up, smiling, and addressed me in a voice that was the perfect accompaniment to his appearance.

"It's nice to see you again, Audrey. Although, I wish it was under better circumstances."

I smiled back, though slightly unnerved by his rather relaxed demeanour. I was quite certain that Edward and Carlisle had already had a conversation surrounding the events of the morning.

"Likewise, Dr. Cullen," I eventually responded, but not sounding as confident as I would have hoped.

Carlisle then moved to examine the x-rays of my ankle, which had been taken upon my admission, using the light board on the wall behind me.

"Well, the good news is that nothing is broken," Carlisle said as he moved towards the damaged ankle, manoeuvring around Edward who was staring at me intently from the end of the bed.

My foot shifted in response to Carlisle's cool touch as he began to examine my ankle. Whilst my ankle was tender, I barely winced as the cool fingers prodded my skin. In less than thirty seconds, Carlisle was extracting strapping from a nearby trolley as he gave me the prognosis.

"You have a grade one sprained ankle, Audrey, which is the best possible outcome. I'll strap it for you, now. Have you had an injury like this before?" Carlisle enquired as he began wrapping the strapping around my foot. It didn't go unnoticed by me when Edward took a step closer to the bed. I swallowed, my mouth slightly parched, before answering Carlisle.

"No, Dr. Cullen, but rest, ice, compress and elevate, right?" I counted off each item using my fingers. Carlisle offered me an amused smile, but I had a feeling that it was also directed towards Edward.

"That's right, Audrey." Carlisle, having quickly finished the strapping, reached for his pen and began adding to the admission notes. "Now, are you in pain anywhere else?"

"No. Well, nothing serious. Just some bruising, I think. Am I free to go?" I spoke to Carlisle and tried to ignore Edward's intense stare. It was almost as if his stare was meant to remind me of the fact that he expected an explanation.

I almost missed Carlisle's surreptitious glance in Edward's direction. Shortly after this, Edward moved down the hallway. Carlisle's answer forced me to draw my eyes away from Edward's retreating form.

"Yes. Your uncle and Alice are in the waiting area. I suggest that you go home and keep off your feet. I would also suggest that you remain at home tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll let Edward wheel you to the waiting room where you can collect the crutches that you will need for a few days."

Like clockwork, Edward appeared at my bedside pushing a wheelchair. As much as I appreciated the idea of being wheeled to the waiting area and looked after, I wasn't too fond of the idea of Edward being in control of my movements. I knew that I would not be making it to the waiting room until he had received his answers and I still had no idea what to tell him.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen," I tried to say cheerfully, but my words ended up being spoken in a worried tone. Carlisle gave me, what could only be described as, a knowing glance.

_He and Edward had this planned all along. He's just as eager to know my explanation. _

"You're welcome, Audrey," Carlisle addressed me for the last time, before giving Tyler his attention. "Now, Mr. Crowley, you'll have to stay with us a little longer." I ceased watching Carlisle attend to Tyler's bandages when I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I turned to see Edward's face very close to mine and, for a moment, I was taken aback by his proximity.

"Audrey." Edward's voice whispered and I felt his cold expelled breath against my ear. "I'm going to… assist you getting into the chair. Don't rest either of your feet against the floor, but appear as though you are making an effort."

_He's going to… lift me?_

Edward's golden eyes then filled my vision and I knew that he was trying to ascertain whether I understood his meaning. I was rendered speechless and so I offered Edward a tentative nod. No sooner had I completed my action, I felt a coldness permeate my shirt. Edward's strong arm was wrapped around my back and hooked beneath my shoulder. Remembering to breathe, I carefully removed my leg from its raised position and slowly rotated my body, so that my legs hung over the side of the bed. In an instant, I felt airborne and I knew that Edward had raised me from the bed and was supporting all of my weight. I don't know how I was able to, but I remembered to plaster a wince across my face, as I slowly floated towards the wheel chair. As I was eased into a sitting position, I didn't have to fake a wince, because the loss of physical contact with Edward was, in itself, painful.

When Edward moved in front of me, to place my parka on my lap, I automatically responded, "Thank you."

My words were met with a nod and then Edward disappeared from my sight. I soon recognised the feeling of being in motion and I could feel Edward's scrutinising gaze at my back. As the exit to the ward drew closer and closer, I grew increasingly wary of Edward's silence.

_Is this the calm before the storm?_

When Edward pushed me into a desolate room, with stripped beds and very little medical equipment, I knew that, fittingly, I was going to be subjected to another examination.

"I think that it's fair to say that it's later, Audrey." Edward spoke in a determined voice as he closed the door and pushed me quickly to a position in the far corner of the room.

"Alright… Alright! No need to be so _pushy_!" I quipped in an attempt to steer the conversation off path, momentarily, so that I could finalise my strategy. Unfortunately, Edward showed no appreciation of my humour and my mustered smile melted down as I watched him seat himself on the bed opposite me. Edward was leant forward, his gaze penetrating, and I found myself feeling exposed in some way. I automatically wrapped my arms around my middle. Edward seemed to notice my unease and soon leant back as he brushed his fingers through his unruly bronze hair, but his eyes never deviated from me. I was not a stoic person. Hating the unendurable silence, I spoke the first words that came to mind.

"Thank you for saving me from Tyler, yet again, back there. I wouldn't have been able to come up with something like that so quickly."

Edward remained impassive, which made him appear all the more commanding.

"Really? I would think that on your good days you would have been able to come up with a believable story. That seems to be something that we have in common – the need and the ability to keep secrets."

I swallowed at the words Edward spoke and then felt the need to speak up myself, a current of courage flowing through me.

"You really wish that you could read my mind right now, don't you?"

I smirked, knowing that I now had the upper hand in this conversation.

Edward's stare became more probing and he gradually leaned forward, as he seemingly mulled over a response.

"Yes. It would certainly make things easier if I could get a clear read," he eventually relented, the smallest of grins apparent on his face.

_A clear read? What does that mean?_

Edward's grin grew minutely upon observing the shocked expression that my face currently bore, before his face and voice, once again, turned serious.

"How well has my family kept our secret, Audrey?" Edward paused and looked up at me from beneath his brow. "What do you know?"

I took an unsteady breath and averted my gaze, momentarily, before mustering enough courage to answer Edward, having no idea where this line of questioning would take us.

Meeting his eager gaze, I sighed, "A lot."

Edward didn't bat an eyelid and I wasn't sure that he was even breathing. I knew that he was entirely focused on my being. I closed my eyes and ran my left hand through my wild hair.

"I know what you are and… I know your diet." Given the nerves pulsing through me, I was surprised to hear myself sound so certain and calm. "I know that you're a vampire."

Mustering enough courage, I opened my eyes to see Edward's reaction. His angel's face was grave and there was confusion in his eyes.

"Audrey, how long have you known?" If Edward had been human, I would have been sure that his voice would have cracked, because his tone was one of great intensity.

I was left wondering how to answer his question.

_You can't tell him that you've known about him for the past few years… nope. You can't tell him he was a fictional character to you until two weeks ago._

Knowing it would be remiss of me to admit such a thing, I followed my intuition.

"Since the moment I ran into Alice at the school." Expressions of fury emerged across Edward's face, but I continued, hoping that my words would dispel his anger.

"Alice didn't give anything away…"

Edward interrupted then, his voice firm.

"Then, how did you know?"

_That's what I was afraid you were going to ask._

I probably sounded like a petulant child, but the only thing that was capable of escaping my lips, at that moment, was, "I just… knew! I can't explain it, Edward."

Edward raised an eyebrow upon hearing my words. His quizzical look was enough of a catalyst for my further improvisation.

"Seeing Alice, that day… it was almost like a case of déjà vu… it seemed to set off a series of… memories?"

_Well, that's not a lie, is it? _

"… Memories of things I'd seen in dreams."

…_And you're back to lying again. Well, you have actually had some pretty interesting dreams._

I stopped speaking and gazed at Edward, anxiously, uncertain as to whether my explanation sufficed. His silence and diverted gaze was unnerving.

"Please, say something, Edward."

He looked at me then, his beautiful face marred with anguish. I felt a lump begin to form in my throat.

_Was he going to call me out on my lies? _

With my mind consumed by worry, I hadn't expected the words that left Edward's lips, nor the incredulous tone in which they were spoken.

"You supposedly knew the monsters that my family and I are and you continued to spend time with us? Why? Have you no sense of self preservation? Anyone of us can kill you in an instant, Audrey!" Edward's tone became even more wretched.

"I almost did kill you."

"Yes, but you also saved me today!" My words sprung out of me with immeasurable ferocity. "And I've never thought of you as a monster." Edward tried to interrupt me, but I continued, nonetheless, raising my hands in a halting gesture.

"No. Let me finish." Edward appeared taken aback by my forcefulness and made no move to object to my continuation. I tried to convey all of the sincerity I could through my tone and in my facial expressions as I addressed Edward's hardened face.

"I am quite aware that there is a part of your physicality that is… selfish and driven by pure instinct and need and that you are capable of causing me great bodily harm because of it."

Taking a deep breath, I muttered, "I'm far from ignorant of that and yet..."

I paused, making sure that Edward's darkened eyes met my own.

"…I _know_ that's not who _you _are, Edward, whether you choose to believe me or not." My words came out low and with conviction.

"_You_ make the choice, everyday, not to harm people… _You've_ made a choice not to harm me."

Edward remained immeasurably still and seemingly devoid of emotion, though I knew that there were strong feelings brewing in the depths of his eyes.

"You must be in physical pain, right now, because of me… For heaven's sake! You risked exposing your family, today, so that you could protect me!" My voice cracked with fervour and reverberated around the room. "You are anything but selfish, Edward."

With my heart pounding vigorously against my chest, I wheeled myself closer to Edward. The composed mask that he'd worn, as he'd listened, was now gone, replaced by a pained expression. I hesitantly reached out for Edward's hand that rested against the edge of the bed, but he retracted it and began to address me in an anguished tone.

"But that's where you're wrong, Audrey. I am selfish." He paused and leaned forward, giving his words a new intensity.

"Despite knowing how wrong it is to spend time with you, I didn't try and prevent Alice from befriending you after your second day at school and immersing you in our existence.

"Despite knowing how dangerous it is for you to be in a room alone with me, I can't bring myself to wheel you out to the waiting room." Edward's voice lowered and his amber eyes consumed my vision.

"My actions are being driven by my selfish need to know more about you, Audrey."

A powerful sensation erupted within me, warming my chest and making me aware of my every breath. Mesmerised by every little detail of the face before me, I was very conscious of the smallest hint of a crooked grin emerging in its features.

"While you seem to know so much about me, I'm utterly perplexed by you."

I took in a sharp intake of breath upon hearing Edward's admission and, mere seconds later, couldn't help but send a smirk in his direction, as the initial shock abated.

"Do you intend to torture your hostage to get information out of her?" I turned my head to the side and whispered at Edward as if I were a fellow conspirator.

Edward raised his brow at my question and his eyes turned slightly mischievous.

"I hadn't planned on using methods of torture, but I was thinking of proposing, to her, some terms for release." Edward now employed the full power of his crooked grin.

_So much for not intending to use methods of torture!_

My interest peaked, I continued to play along in the game that I had instigated. I was truly intrigued by what Edward wanted from me.

"Hmm… I think she would like to hear the terms." Edward leant in closer and peered up at me from beneath his lowered brow. I struggled to remain composed and undazzled.

_Is he aware of what he's doing?_

"Are you certain that she would?" Edward's scent met my nose, removing any memories of the stagnant smell of disinfectant.

I swallowed before quipping back, "Yes. I believe that I am very well acquainted with this hostage and her thoughts, unlike others I know."

Edward moved back, a frustrated and yet slightly amused scowl adorning his face.

"All I ask is that you answer five questions, for now." Edward's words were now spoken with a more serious edge. I didn't like the idea of Edward having that many questions to ask. There were just too many ways for me to work myself into a corner. I decided to be assertive.

"I'll hear two of your questions and then decide whether or not I wish to answer them," I uttered in a commanding tone.

I fixed my gaze at Edward who, unsurprisingly, scoffed at my suggestion.

"I didn't think that you were in a position to negotiate, Audrey."

Exuding an unexpected amount of confidence, I folded my arms across my chest and shrugged. At that, he seemed to relent.

"To borrow Tyler's phrasing, how did you know that Jessica was in danger?" Edward matched my posture and I felt like my every reaction was being scrutinised by his gaze. Thankfully, I was instantly able to recognise that I could utilise my previous comments about my somewhat prophetic dreams. I smiled up at Edward, which seemed to unnerve him. It felt strange being the one with the answers.

"You already know the answer to that, but I'll expand if you wish." Edward nodded his head, signalling me to continue. I maintained eye contact with Edward, to try and make it seem as though my words were truthful.

"I knew what was going to happen. I dreamt about today's incident, before the start of the school week, except I was in Jessica's place. The morning after the dream… well, that was when I was late to school." Edward studied me for a moment, before he nodded his head.

_Maybe I am a pretty good liar. Then again, some of that was the truth._

I wasn't sure of what to make of Edward's response and I desperately wanted him to believe my twisted truths, for I knew that now was not the right time to reveal the truth to the Cullens. I tried to remove some of the pressure that had accumulated in my chest by releasing a deep breath.

"Alright… hit me with your final question, then," I prodded when Edward remained silent.

He smiled at my display of impatience. "Sorry. If I only am allowed to ask one other question, then I want to ensure that it is a good one." A mere roll of my eyes was enough to incite Edward's further questioning.

"You mentioned that you believe that you knew things about Alice as soon as you saw her, because of your dreams. What have your dreams told you about me?" Edward's tone was extremely inquisitive. His eyes were narrowed and focused and anticipation was displayed across his porcelain features.

I could have poured out everything I knew to Edward, but I realised that if I just answered with the bare minimum, I could hear stories and learn things first hand from Edward and… that's what I believed this whole experience of mine was about. I expelled a breath before providing a carefully considered response.

"I know that you were born in Chicago in 1901. Carlisle changed you in 1918 when you were dying from the Spanish Influenza. You live off the blood of animals." I paused before looking down and muttering, "But, there was a time when you didn't…"

Edward's eyes widened.

"I think I've already established that I know you can read minds and that I'm pretty sure you can't read mine." I looked down and chuckled to myself. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we?"

"Very true."

Edward's voice drew my gaze, once again, to his face. His expression seemed more relaxed. I was reminded of an earlier part of our conversation in which Edward's face had worn the same expression. Things began to fall into place in my head, but I wasn't sure whether or not they were necessarily falling into the right places. My curiosity got the better of me.

"Edward, what did you mean earlier when you mentioned getting a clearer read? Have you heard my thoughts before? Is that why you hurried out of the cafeteria, yesterday?" My words came out in a flurry. I waited for Edward's reply with baited breath. Edward's long, pale fingers were again running through his perfectly untamed hair.

"In all honesty, I can't be sure, Audrey." Edward paused and extracted his gaze to look towards the door. "I will have to explain it on another occasion. Nurses are headed in this direction."

Before I could comprehend that I was moving, I soon found myself out of the room and being pushed along a reasonably long hallway. Nausea engulfed me, from the sudden movement, and I grasped the arms of the wheelchair hard, whilst attempting to take deep soothing breaths.

_I hate motion sickness…_

I closed my eyes, hoping that the swirling sensations in my head would soon subside.

"Audrey, are you alright?" Edward's distressed voice sounded from in front of me. Quickly opening my eyes, I came to the realisation that I was now stationary, because the person who had been in control of my wheelchair was now crouched down before me. Edward's worried features matched his tone.

"I'm just a bit… motion sick, Edward," I eventually admitted, softly. "I wasn't prepared for such a quick escape." I rested my chin against my chest.

Loose strands of hair impaired my vision, but not enough to notice Edward's expression become torn and almost pained. Indecision flickered in his eyes momentarily, before being replaced by a raging conflict. I sat still and was mesmerised as I watched as Edward's hesitantly raised hand draw closer and closer to my face. With deliberate slowness, his perfect porcelain hand brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. My, now, unobstructed vision marvelled at the intensity displayed in Edward's kind, handsome face. My heart was pounding fiercely - so much so that I could hear the blood pumping loudly in my ears. Unfortunately, it wasn't loud enough to drown out the sound of a voice that would interrupt our moment.

"There you are… Dree…"

My eyes snapped up to see Charlie's wide eyes moving back and forth between Edward and me.

I tried to appear as relaxed and unfazed by the situation, I now found myself in, to the two men before me, but, in particular, to Charlie. Taking a steadying breath, I launched myself into action.

"Edward, this is my Uncle, Chief Swan." I smiled in Charlie's direction, hoping to alleviate his obvious tension, made apparent by the strained lines of his face. "Uncle Chuck, this is Edward Cullen."

_Let the next inquest begin…_

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Karry.


	19. Visiting Hours

- Some people mentioned that they didn't receive an alert for this chapter. I'm posting it again in the hope that it will reach all those signed up for alerts. Sorry to those who have already received an alert. Also, thanks to Psychojinx for picking up some things that needed editing. ;) -

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**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

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**Page Turner**

**19. Visiting Hours**

_"Uncle Chuck, this is Edward Cullen."_

Charlie's face was still wrought with tension as he gazed fixedly at Edward, seemingly trying, with all his might, to know the intentions of the bronze haired boy knelt before me. Ironically, it was this bronze haired boy who, no doubt, was aware of my uncle's intentions towards him.

Not missing a beat, and ever the respectable gentleman, Edward was soon standing before Charlie with his hand extended.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Chief Swan." Edward's tone was clear and respectful, but even from my position - where I was only afforded a good view of his profile - I could see a small amount of amusement displayed in his features.

_What is Charlie thinking that Edward would find humorous?_

"Edward," Charlie acknowledged, gruffly.

Charlie then hesitantly met Edward's outstretched hand and, from the tendons visible on his hand, shook it firmly. Even though he had accepted Edward's gesture, it was evident that Charlie still eyed him cautiously. Watching Charlie release Edward's hand and, smirking, replace his hands in his pockets, having purposely brushed them past his gun belt in the process, I felt the need to try and assure Charlie that Edward was trustworthy, but was too engrossed in the emerging conversation to interrupt. You could almost pinpoint the instant when the blinkers were removed from Charlie's eyes and the consequent illumination they showed upon his recognition of a piece of information that had previously been neglected.

"Carlisle's son, right?"

Edward nodded before answering Charlie's query.

"Yes, sir. He just examined Audrey. She has a mildly sprained ankle. After strapping it, he gave her the all clear." Edward sounded extremely professional in that moment and I couldn't help but imagine him interacting with patients, as I'm sure he would have needed to have done, whilst undertaking his medical degree.

_I'm sure the female patients would have approved of his bedside manner. _

Charlie's warm brown eyes, turning to meet my face, broke me out of my musings. His relief was evident and a smile spread across his face. He soon walked forward to rest his hand on mine and then crouched down in order to be at my eye level.

"That's good to know." Charlie whispered, rubbing the back of my hand and even though Charlie was directly in front of me, I was acutely aware of Edward's presence. I didn't want him to be on the periphery and I knew that Charlie deserved to know the reason why I had been so fortunate this morning. A few words were all that was needed to kill two birds with one stone.

"Yeah, it is… But I wouldn't have been given the all clear if Edward hadn't pulled me out of the way of the van." I spoke sincerely and Charlie's eyes widened at my revelation, before he quickly met Edward's gaze as he looked over his shoulder. He stood and moved towards him.

I watched eagerly as Charlie reached up and rested his hand on Edward's shoulder, looking at him with an expression that accurately conveyed his obvious and immense gratitude. In Twilight, apart from their first meeting, Edward and Charlie's relationship had been strained because of unforeseen events. Seeing this interaction gave me hope that, just maybe, this wouldn't be the case and that Edward's presence wouldn't be out of favour in the Swan household.

_That is, if Edward's presence is going to be prominent for my remaining 300, or so, pages. _

The conversation that followed Charlie's actions gave me reason to believe that my worries of being distanced from Edward were unfounded.

"I can't thank you enough, Edward," Charlie said, his voice deep and laced with emotion. "I don't know what I would have done if…" Charlie trailed off, looking down and, at the same time, removed his hand from Edward's arm and used it to rub the back of his neck. Looking at Charlie, I swallowed back the emotions that were causing the water to nearly spill out of my eyes.

I was surprised when I heard Edward respond in an equally solemn voice. "You're welcome, sir. I only wish I could have prevented Audrey from getting injured at all."

"Well, I've been assured that Audrey is very appreciative of the fact that she only has a sprain. So, can everyone cheer up and put a smile on their face?" I spoke up, with humour, wanting to put an end to all negative thoughts. Although the day, up until this point, had been extremely challenging and taxing, I was extremely grateful for the outcomes it had produced and I hoped that those around me would be buoyed by my positive energy. The resulting raised eyebrows and questioning grins on Charlie and Edward's faces were enough to make me believe that I had succeeded at my task. However, flicking between the amber hues of Edward's eyes to the deep chocolate tones of Charlie's, I was encouraged to fill the sudden silence.

"Come on! Let's not stand around all day, or, as I am now constrained to do, sit," I encouraged cheerfully and was met with only amused looks. Slightly exasperated at the lack of resultant action, I raised my hands in front of me, rather dramatically, and raised my brow.

_I'm going to have to spell it out to them, aren't I?_

"Let's go home!"

Deciding to start the ball rolling, or, in my case, the chair rolling, I began to wheel towards the large doors that bore the sign "Waiting Area Reception". No sooner than I had begun wheeling, I felt a shiver run up my back and my hands automatically moved to rest in my lap. It was startling how attuned my body had become to Edward's presence. Now, as he pushed me towards the waiting area, my mind retrieved memories of his earlier words and continued attentiveness and I struggled to contain the consequent multitude of emotions, which seemed to meet and settle in the pit of my stomach.

As we came to a stop before the doors, Charlie quickly appeared from behind me to hold the door open. His quick smile and glance above my head didn't go unnoticed, before he smirked in my direction.

"I don't think the term 'patient' applies to Dree, here, Edward."

A rich chuckle met my ears and my body felt the resultant vibrations in the wheelchair frame. With my uncle being in the vicinity, I fought the intense longing to turn around and meet Edward's, no doubt, brightened golden irises.

_Was he laughing just to appease Charlie? Or was it genuine? Does it matter? Just hearing his laughter was wonderful._

Managing to keep my focus and not be swept away by the subtle melodies encased in Edward's laugh, I fixed my eyes on my Uncle's rather satisfied face.

_I'd say that all negative thoughts are long gone._

I was impressed and amused at Charlie's comment and told him as much. "…Very clever." Then, folding my arms across my chest and smirking, I shook my head and said, "I think I'm a bad influence on you, Uncle Chuck."

Charlie smiled in my direction.

"Now, I guarantee that if we hurry up and get to reception, I will no longer be classified as patient! Please, drive on, Edward!" Raising my hand poshly for show, I found myself making the mistake of looking over my shoulder to see Edward's face. Whilst they were partially hidden by stray strands of his bronze hair, Edward's eyes still had an incomprehensible power over me. At times like these, I became infatuated with his golden orbs, perfectly framed by his thick lashes and the nuance of the unspoken words that they conveyed to me – "_What else do you know about me? What are you thinking?"_

Seeing my face reflected back at me in Edward's pupils, I tried to envisage what it would feel like to be in Edward's situation. Surely, knowing that your actions would not be looked upon favourably by some members of your family, whilst you, yourself, were questioning your actions and intentions, would wreak havoc on your emotions? On top of those thoughts, your mind would be replaying the revelations of the girl your family had grown close to and mulling over the implications of her rather unsettling disclosure. With answers would only come more questions. Perhaps you would consider the notion that ignorance is, indeed, bliss? Then, you would have to deal with the fact that, try as you might to do the right thing and leave the girl before you, never to see her again… you can't. For some inexplicable reason, you can't find it within yourself to leave.

It seemed illogical for me to consider the workings of Edward's mind when his face was a carefully composed mask, but there was an innate feeling within me that seemed to speak to me and tell me that I was right.

"There you are, Chief Swan! I think your coffee maybe cold." Alice's sweet, perky voice awakened me to the world around me. We were now stationed near a reception desk and Charlie was leant forward, holding crutches and signing some papers.

_How long had my thoughts and Edward's eyes distracted me?_

Charlie turned to Alice and accepted the coffee, placing it on the desk.

"Thanks, Alice. I'm sorry I disappeared. The lovely ladies, here, pointed me in the direction of the restroom and on my way back I bumped into Dree and Edward." Charlie, unknowingly, succeeded in making the women manning the desk blush at his compliment and, most probably once more, as he flashed them a warm smile before returning to sign some forms. I chuckled softly and looked down, only to meet Alice's pixie face.

She was crouched before me, a knowing look in her sparkling eyes, and instantly moved to hold my hands. It felt as though I were holding a glass bottle that I'd just extracted from the fridge, but, having prepared myself for the temperature differential, I was able to not appear startled. I smiled at Alice whilst pondering if she had been privy to Edward's and my conversation. Certainly, she wouldn't have been privy to it via her gift of foresight - at least, I didn't think she would have – but maybe she had been able to hear it from the right vantage point.

"I take it you're allowed to go home?" Alice asked, inclining her head to the side and smiling.

I nodded in response and offered a returning smile. "Yes. I just have a mild sprain." I motioned with my head to my ankle. "Dr. Cullen has informed me that I should stay off my feet for a bit." I grinned cheekily. "I don't usually like to be pushed, but today I've made an exception."

_I wonder if Alice knew the double meaning behind my words..._

Alice let go of my hands, raised her eyebrows, stood and looked over my head. I knew her gaze was directed at a certain bronze haired gentleman, whose presence I could feel at my back.

…_perhaps she does._

I inclined my head awkwardly to grin in Edward's direction. He looked down at me with knowing eyes.

"Alright, that's all those papers signed. I can take you home now, Dree." I repositioned myself to see Charlie down his coffee – more like ice coffee - and then move to dispose of his now empty cup. Suddenly, I felt Edward's breath at my ear and I felt a shiver travel down my neck.

"Are you comfortable having a conversation with someone right now? If not, I can try and encourage Charlie to avoid the waiting area."

My curiosity won out over all the humorous responses that had formulated in my head, so I quickly whispered back, "Who wants to talk with me?"

"Jessica Stanley."

…_Well, that's not entirely unexpected._

I instantly closed my eyes and rubbed my left hand over my face.

_Do I really want to talk with Jessica now? _

When I didn't respond automatically, Alice spoke up in a caring tone.

"She can always talk to you when you return to school, Audrey."

At that moment, I realised that I liked the idea of not having to deal with Jessica. Having already shared an intense conversation in this hospital, I was not about to enter into another one. There was nothing I wanted more than to leave the hospital and return to the little white weatherboard house that I called home in the world of Twilight. I knew I would have to deal with more question and answer sessions today, but I hoped that they would be in the comfort of my home and away from the prying ears and probing eyes of unaware members of society. I opened my eyes to see Charlie returning from down the hall.

Quickly, I whispered, almost unintelligibly, "Avoid Jessica."

I felt the slightest of reassuring touches on my shoulder, before Edward straightened upon Charlie's approach. I could still feel the impression Edward's hand had left on my shoulder as Charlie reached the desk.

Reaching out to collect the crutches, Charlie seemed to ponder something before turning to address Edward and Alice.

"Now, you kids will need a ride back to the school, won't you? Edward, if you could help wheel Dree out to the car and Alice, if you wouldn't mind carrying the crutches, I'll try and create a path and squeeze us out of the waiting area… seems like every kid from the school is out there." Charlie pointed to the doors at the edge of the room, from where a cacophony of muffled sounds was filtering. Just before Charlie handed the crutches to Alice, she spoke up.

"Actually, Chief Swan, I think I know a way out that would allow us to avoid the mayhem behind those doors." Charlie didn't need any convincing. Keeping the crutches firmly in his grasp, he smiled at Alice and said, "Lead the way."

_How many times were the Cullens going to save me today?_

-()-()-()-

It was quite humorous to think of Alice and Edward Cullen being in the backseat of a Police Cruiser, but that was the image that met my eyes when I glanced up into the rear vision mirror. For most of the journey, I'd been conveying Carlisle's instructions that were designed to hasten my recovery to Charlie. Throughout my explanations, I made surreptitious glances into the rear vision mirror and had noted Alice and Edward's barely moving lips and slight head movements. An outsider wouldn't have known that they were having a conversation, albeit inaudible to human ears. I was almost certain that my revelations were the premise for the discussion and I noted Alice's eyes widen as time passed.

_What would she think of me?_

Silence filled the car as Charlie and my words came to an end, but it was soon broken by the beep and crackle of Charlie's radio.

"Chief, come in," a gravelly male voice filled the car. Charlie reached for the receiver and soon responded.

"Chief Swan, here. What's the problem, George?"

George went on to convey that Charlie was required to finalise the reports surrounding the incident this morning and that of a drink driving incident, which had occurred the previous evening. Upon hearing this, Charlie huffed, but seemed firmly resolved in his response.

"Look George, my niece was injured this morning and I don't want to leave her at home alone. Could you check if someone can drive the reports over to me and I'll finish them at my place?"

"Just a moment, Chief."

As soon as George's voice could no longer be heard, I addressed Charlie.

"Uncle Chuck, you go into work! I'll be fine. I just need to set myself up on the couch with a good book and some snacks. Please go in. I know you can't afford to get behind after taking so many days off earlier in the year." My tone was assuring and understanding, but Charlie was adamant that he would not allow me to stay home alone in my current state.

"Dree, you aren't staying home alone. Case closed."

Charlie's tone was authoritarian and for the first time, I felt as though I were dealing with a disciplining parental figure. As much as I respected my parents' wishes back home, as an adult, I always felt that I was free to express my opinion and make my own decision. In that moment, I realised that there was a stark difference between being seen as a twenty year old and being seen as a seventeen year old.

_This is what it must feel like for the Cullens._

Taking a deep breath, I found myself employing a tactic that had served me well in the past. I bit my tongue – figuratively, of course.

_The last thing that's needed is free flowing blood in car that holds two vampires._

"Chief Swan, may I offer a suggestion?" Alice's voice flowed to the front of the car. Charlie immediately smiled and I noticed him attempting to meet Alice's gaze in the rear vision mirror.

"Of course, Alice. What's your suggestion?" I turned around in my seat, eyeing Alice and then Edward, questioningly. Edward appeared to be rather disgruntled.

_What is Alice up to?_

"Well, sir, how would you feel if I stayed with Audrey for the remainder of the day? That way, you are able to go to work while still knowing that Audrey is in safe hands…" I raised an eyebrow in Alice's direction, knowing full well why she wanted to stay at home with me, as Charlie interrupted.

"Wait a second, Alice. I don't want you to fall behind… and I'm sure your parents wouldn't want you to miss school." It seemed that, despite Charlie's words, he may have actually been considering the idea. I could almost feel his resolve breaking. Alice, seemingly the master manipulator, instantly started providing Charlie with solutions to the problems he had posed.

"Chief Swan, my GPA is excellent. I won't fall behind because Edward, who will stay at school, will collect my assignments and Audrey's assignments and give them to us this afternoon. I already messaged my father and mother and both agree that I should stay with Audrey. In fact, they are very proud that I offered to help, knowing that you are then free to help patrol the town." Edward's eye roll, directed out the window, didn't escape my notice. Alice was certainly laying it on thick - knowing the creature that she was, it felt wrong to think that she was _sucking up_ to Charlie.

"Chief, all the guys are tied up, at present." George's voice was carried over the airwaves, once again. Charlie began to turn into the quiet school parking lot, before raising the receiver to his mouth.

"Ah, George… I'll be coming in. Give me about half an hour." Charlie's face bore resignation as he returned the receiver to its place on the dash and then continued to park the car near the school office.

"I'll take you up on your offer, Alice, if you're sure it's no problem." Charlie turned in his seat to face Alice and reached up to rub the back of his neck. Alice beamed and her face was aglow with fulfilment.

"Chief Swan, trust me when I say that I have no problem spending the afternoon with my friend. Besides, I wouldn't have offered if it would have been a problem." Alice's lilting voice was a weapon of persuasion. Charlie eyes were bright as he nodded in Alice's direction and then he turned his attention to Edward. I followed suit and was, yet again, struck by Edward's terribly handsome features.

"Well, Edward, you have a good afternoon. I really can't thank you enough for keeping Audrey safe." Charlie's voice was measured and yet conveyed nothing but sincerity.

Edward nodded in Charlie's direction and I watched as his loose strands of hair moved to cover parts of his porcelain forehead.

"Thank you for the lift, sir," Edward said as he opened the car door, whilst meeting my eyes. His frustrated eyes held mine, momentarily, before I was driven to speak.

"Thank you, Edward." I reached out and placed my right hand on top of his left one that was resting on the back of my seat. Though Edward's hand was cold and smooth, a warm current started travelling along each of my fingers, as Edward's hand remained beneath mine. I tried to use my eyes to convey to him that I wanted him to know more about me and, me, more about him. My breath hitched when Edward's hand slid out from under mine. Although I was disconcerted by Edward's action, his following words and velvety tone soothed me.

"You're welcome. I shall bring your assignments over this afternoon, Audrey."

…_Something to look forward to._

Watching Edward's retreating form, as we drove out of the car park, made me feel empty, but I was soon distracted by a reminder of the… interesting afternoon that I had ahead.

"So, what will you girls do this afternoon?" Charlie pried. I responded rather quickly.

"I somehow have a feeling that we shall be spending the afternoon chatting. What do you think, Alice?"

I saw Alice's knowing grin through the rear vision mirror.

"Chatting sounds like fun, Audrey."

-()-()-()-

After Charlie made sure that I was positioned correctly on the couch, covered with a blanket and felt assured that Alice or I would contact him if I was to feel unwell, he left us to ourselves. Hugging the blanket around me, I found myself preparing to face another onslaught of questions – questions that I needed to answer in the same way that I had done with Edward, previously.

Even though that I was pretty sure that Alice was aware that I knew she was a vampire, she still maintained human idiosyncrasies, skipping over and perching herself on the chair opposite me. She moved to straighten her skirt, effectively concealing her face from me.

Now that it was just the two of us, I worried about being witness to any facial expressions that truly reflected how she felt about my confessions. There were no pretences to be kept now and, more than anything, the expression that I dreaded seeing on her petite features was one of hurt.

I breathed deeply and fiddled with loose strands of wool on the blanket, before breaking the silence.

"Are you angry at me, Alice?" I spoke in barely a whisper and eventually, chanced a glance in Alice's direction only to see confusion written across her face.

_Now I'm confused._

Alice leant forward and spoke sincerely and delicately.

"Why would I be angry at you, Audrey? If anything, I'm happy that we can now speak freely with one another."

I, automatically, found myself sighing in relief.

"How much did Edward clue you in on?"

Alice grinned.

"Well, according to him," - Alice paused, seemingly for a dramatic effect - "everything that you discussed… but I doubt the credibility of that claim." I chuckled along with Alice and found myself feeling more and more comfortable.

"He didn't want me to have a discussion alone with you, either." Alice added. I scrunched up my face, perplexed.

"Then how on earth did you manage to get him to stay at school? I mean… I can understand, for appearances, why it would be wise to let Edward supposedly stay at school, but I thought he would have run himself over here by now." Alice laughed and I looked at her eagerly.

"…I may have threatened the well being of his car," Alice admitted, sheepishly.

"You threatened to total the Volvo?" I asked, incredulously. Alice shook her head.

"No. Not the Volvo. Edward also has an Aston Martin, but that's not the real reason why Edward isn't already here. He realises that he has to face a few members of the family who are not as understanding about what he did this morning as I am." Alice's voice softened.

"I didn't think Rosalie or Jasper would be too thrilled at Edward's actions," I acknowledged, looking down.

"From your dreams?" Alice queried, eagerly. I nodded, meeting Alice's wide topaz eyes. Alice smiled, making her features glow.

"You know, Audrey, I feel more… connected to you now, because we share a similar gift."

Guilt pierced my body with each of Alice's words.

_No. You can't tell her the real reason you know future events. _

I sat still and tried to absorb every ounce of positivity flowing my way from Alice's direction. Alice's speech paused momentarily, almost as if she were nervous about admitting something. A smile in her direction was all that was required for her to continue.

"Usually, I can see a person's future based upon decisions made, but, with you, it's all a grey haze." I felt my eyes widen.

_A grey haze? I was aware that Alice had trouble seeing me, but does that mean I block other's futures too?_

Alice's eyes turned mystified. "It's peculiar that you can see my future, but I can't see yours. Then again, there was that time in the cafeteria that confuses me greatly…"

"Yes…" I prodded.

"I saw you, two other girls and the couple you pointed out to me as your parents. You were stood in front of the Opera House in Sydney." Alice's eyes found the picture of me and my parents in the lounge room and she motioned towards it. "How could I have seen them in your future, Audrey, if they are already dead?"

I sat motionless and struggled to blink as I comprehended what Alice was saying. Was Alice really seeing my future? Did that mean that the inscription in the blank book was truthful? Did that mean that I would see my family again?

I was at a loss to explain these things to Alice and so I settled on the only answer that made sense.

"I don't know, Alice. I don't know."

It went silent then and I could see Alice's mind ticking over with numerous possibilities.

"It must be hard to not be able to use a gift that you and your family have relied upon for so long." I tried to imagine myself in such a position. In a way, it would almost be like me losing one of my five senses.

Alice chuckled.

"It is a challenge, but… you've made my existence more interesting. I don't know what things would be like if you hadn't come." Alice glanced up at the wall behind her, which held the many pictures of Bella.

Suddenly, a thought prodded its way to the forefront of my mind.

_Surely, now that we are being more open with each other I can ask this?_

I ran my hand through my very wild hair.

"Alice, how did you know of Bella?" Although it was uncomfortable, I found myself leaning forward in anticipation of Alice's response. "Did… Did you see her coming here?"

Alice turned her head so that she could, once again, meet my gaze with her honest eyes. The gold irises really did stand out against her ebony hair.

"I had a vision of her and your uncle, together, when we were climbing the stairs. They were talking in your bedroom, as it is now, and the calendar in the background was set to April. For me to have seen that meant you mustn't have been in the vicinity." Alice turned pensive for a moment.

_Would I already be gone by April?_

Alice looked up at me from beneath her think lashes.

"The other occasion that I saw Bella was prior to you coming here." Alice must have seen the anticipation in my face, for she quickly continued. "But when you came, that future disappeared."

"What future?" My words came out hushed.

Alice almost seemed apprehensive to answer, but, within a few moments, the melodic tendencies of her voice soon filled the void.

"I saw her and Edward together, Audrey. It was just a momentary flash, but they were holding hands… I've kept it from Edward." I looked down at the blanket and rested my hand against the side of my face.

_Why does this shock you? You know that in the original story Bella and Edward end up together?_

Alice's voice soon garnered my attention, again.

"But now when I look into Edward's future, Audrey, all I see is grey mist and… you know what that means." Alice smiled at me as she stood and moved towards where I was seated on the couch.

_Was Alice implying that Edward's future was interwoven with mine, now?_

I was about to inquire further when I heard Alice grumble.

_Grumble?_

"I asked to have more time to speak with you, but it seems our alone time is over." Alice said rather irritated, whilst folding her arms across her chest and moving towards the main hallway. I propped myself up a bit and followed her movements as I peered over the back of the couch.

"Who's here?" I queried.

Alice's voice called out from the hallway, quite unenthusiastically.

"It's Edward and…" I heard the door open before Alice finished her answer.

"Darling? Oh where is Darling the Omniscient?"

I felt a whoosh of air before I saw a blur of movement circling the small confines of the room.

I finished Alice's answer for her.

"…Emmett."

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**What are your thoughts?**

_**I value your feedback and I respond to every review.**_

Did you enjoy getting some answers from Alice?

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What hilarity will ensue next chapter?

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**I don't usually do this, but I would really appreciate your vote in the following categories: _"Best Non NC17 story", "I wish I thought of that" and "Best Author"_**. Voting begins on the 10th September and ends on the 14th for "Best Non NC17 story" and "I wish I thought of that" and goes from the 16th - 20th September for "Best Author".

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**Karry.  
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	20. House Call

Well, this has been a long time coming and for that I am extremely apologetic. All I can say is blame my university mathematics lecturers for setting too many hard assignments. Things will be so much easier after the second week of November! Simply, because there will be no university over the summer. Yay! I hope I've made up for the wait with this extra long chapter. To tell you the truth, I could have kept writing and writing for, as much as you like reading the story, I love writing it.

I must thank everyone who voted for the story and me in the Hidden Star Awards. I was extremely honoured, but, alas, the story did not win. I really appreciate all your support!

Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! We cracked the 400 review mark! You don't know how happy that made me. Do you think we could reach the 450 mark by the end of this chapter?

**Also, I've been betaing a story by cowgirlep4ec called Impossible to Erase. I think it is a beautifully written and will be an extremely interesting read. cowgirlep4ec is listed under my favourite authors on my profile page. Check her out!**

Enjoy chapter 20!

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

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Dad, you are an amazing editor! EP, you gave me the confidence I needed to finish the chapter.  


* * *

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**Page Turner**

**20. House Call**

_"Darling? Oh where is Darling the Omniscient?" _

_I felt a whoosh of air before I saw a blur of movement circling the small confines of the room. _

_I finished Alice's answer for her._

"…Emmett."

_With an entrance like that, I think I can presume that someone has let him know that I'm aware of his vampire status._

Just as suddenly as the blur had appeared, it came to a halt and my eyes were filled with the image of a pale, dimpled face, which bore a rather jovial expression. Startled, somewhat, I instinctively leaned away from the twinkling eyes, but was soon lured back to my previous position by Emmett's warm smile.

Emmett had, somehow, knelt down besides the couch that I was reclined on, so that his mischievous eyes were level with mine.

_What is he up to?_

My attention stayed fixed to Emmett's face, as his boisterous voice reverberated around the room.

"Well, that settles it! Darling surely knows all!" I noticed Emmett's glance and smug grin in the direction of those who stood behind me, momentarily, before he looked down and addressed me. "How else would you have been able to tell that it was me?"

I found myself bringing my hand to my mouth and looking down into my lap in an attempt to hold back my laughter, but I couldn't prevent the small chuckles that escaped my lips as I contemplated the seriousness of Emmett's question. It was very obvious to me that, whilst Emmett could be serious, his question was intended purely to break the ice and lighten the mood. His humour and antics were his way of telling me that he had no qualms about my knowledge of his family's secret. His presence here, in what surely must have only been the lunch hour at school, boosted my spirits. Emmett's eagerness to visit, and the nature of the visit, thus far, made me feel wanted and it felt as though my worries of the Cullens deserting me could be put to rest. I felt important, particularly with all eyes currently glued on me, watching my response. Glancing up, I met Emmett's eyes.

"I'm far from omniscient, Emmett and, as for being able to know that it was you, well, the booming voice and not-so-subtle entrance may have just given you away." I raised my right hand and pinched my thumb and index finger together as I spoke. Emmett's face transformed into a picture of disappointment.

"And I thought that subtly was one of my strengths," Emmett mockingly sulked in a disheartened tone. I zipped my head around in response to a loud scoff. Edward's face wore an incredulous expression as he stared in Emmett's direction. Catching Edward's eye, I smiled at him and a slight tweak of his lips suggested it was to be returned, but, instead, anger became evident in all of his features. I had little time to register this before I squealed, having felt myself unexpectedly ascend, almost as if I were in an elevator. Removing my eyes from the top of Edward's head and looking down to my right to try and confirm my current position, I met Emmett's mischievous, grinning face, which stood out against the other, now smaller, objects scattered around the living room.

I looked back at Emmett with wide eyes.

_Seriously? He's picked up the couch!_

"What on earth are you doing, Emmett?" Alice asked in a firm tone that still held an audible undercurrent of amusement.

"I guess it shouldn't be obvious. I'm practising being subtle…" Emmett was interrupted.

"Well, you can practise returning the couch to its original position and in a delicate manner." Edward's voice was low and menacing. I looked down in the direction of his voice and noticed the hard lines of his face. For the first time that I could remember, Edward truly looked like a vampire. In a strange way, I felt no fear. Instead, my heart started to thump even more tremulously as I considered what was fuelling Edward's reaction to Emmett's antics. Nevertheless, I felt the need to try and rid the room of tension.

"It's okay, Edward. There's actually a nice view from up here." I knew that Emmett had no intention of hurting me and I didn't see the harm in playing along.

Edward inclined his head upwards and our eyes met. Instantly, his face softened. I offered him a smile as a show of assurance. He seemed to expel a deep breath before glancing in Emmett's direction.

_What is Emmett thinking?_

"See, I knew you wouldn't mind, Darling." Smugness and amusement were laced in Emmett's tone. I drew my gaze away from Edward and looked into Emmett's tawny eyes.

"I'm glad that you're having fun, Emmett and I know that you are capable of holding me up here for a very long time, but, eventually, I will have to come down, you know. I need my human moments," I stated in a calm voice.

I didn't see the harm in indulging Emmett. However, I knew that I would find comfort in being stationed on solid ground and I knew that it would offer Edward some comfort, too. Whilst Edward appeared to be privy to some of the workings of Emmett's mind, it seemed as though Emmett was being very careful in his thoughts and, as such, Edward was only able to react to Emmett at the last second. Emmett seemed to be enjoying exploiting the fact that Alice and hence Edward could not see what was going to happen next.

_Perhaps that's why he enjoys your company. You give him the chance to play the clown. _

"Audrey's had a stressful day, Emmett. Now is not the time for games." Edward quickly moved besides Emmett, seemingly in response to one of his thoughts and gave him an admonishing stare. I guffawed.

"Does that mean that you won't be asking me questions and hounding me for answers for the rest of the day, Edward?" I raised a challenging eyebrow and offered a crooked grin in Edward's direction. Alice's laughed tinkled from behind me, but was soon drowned out by the bass notes of an Emmett chuckle. The couch shook gently beneath me, but I didn't remove my gaze from Edward, who looked caught out and failed to offer a response. Whilst I very much appreciated Edward's concern, I felt as though I could handle anything Emmett had in mind and, to tell the truth, my interest had spiked at the mention of a game. From an early age, I'd revelled at the thought of some friendly competition.

"She already has you figured out, kid," Emmett, still chuckling, said at Edward. Edward responded by looking down and running a hand through his reddish brown hair, slightly neatening the disarray. I felt my ears heat upon hearing Emmett's words.

_Why had he spoken them out loud? Did he verbalise his thoughts deliberately?_

"Then again, being all-knowing, Darling, you should have people figured out." Emmett paused, seemingly for dramatic effect. I'm sure my small eye roll didn't go unnoticed. Watching Emmett closely, I could almost see the workings of his mind behind his glinting eyes and I found myself eager to hear his next words. "I want to know how much you know about me. So, if you answer three questions of mine with worthy responses, then I will set the sofa back down straight."

_Interesting…_

Although I knew a little bit about Emmett from my knowledge of the Twilight series, I wouldn't say that my knowledge of him was as sound as my knowledge of Alice or even Rosalie.

_But you shouldn't appear as if you know too much._

Inclining my head to the side, I asked, in a curious and pensive tone, "What if I can't answer all your questions? How else can I earn my passage back down to earth?" I returned Emmett's mischievous grin with one of my own, as a new thought entered my mind. "And… If I do answer all the questions, worthily, don't you think I deserve more than just the lowering of the couch? I think I also deserve another reward."

Edward looked up to meet my eyes with an air of amusement and I knew what had incited his response, instantly. I knew he was marvelling at my ability to negotiate when it seemed that I was in no position to do so.

_Well, it worked before, with Edward, why not now with Emmett?_

I shrugged in Edward's direction and my insides leapt when he offered me a crooked grin. It didn't escape my notice that the tension in the room had suddenly dissipated, immensely.

Emmett regained my attention with a pondering murmur and I looked to see his face scrunched up, as if mulling over my suggestion.

"Well, if you, for some reason, can't answer one of my questions, then you can make up for it by talking using Australian phrases whenever I ask." I crooked an eyebrow. I suddenly wasn't too keen on not knowing the answer to one of Emmett's question. Whilst, I knew some Aussie slang, I rarely used it and, to tell the truth, I found it annoying. Plus, I wouldn't put it past Emmett to ask me to speak that way to teachers and students.

_Nope. That would not be good._

Emmett seemed to enjoy my reaction before deciding to continue, mimicking me and raising an eyebrow in question.

"As for your reward, what would you suggest?"

I brought my hand to my chin, in an action that mirrored Rodin's The Thinker.

_Hmm… What would both annoy Emmett and make me happy?_

I smiled as something came to mind.

"Whenever I would like, you must call me by my first name and not Darling." I stated in an unwavering tone, having recalled Emmett's use of the nickname in front of my uncle. Looking beyond Emmett, I saw Alice move around to stand by Edward, her arms folded daintily across her chest and her face alight with amusement. An additional detail worked its way into my head.

"Also, to make the game fair, Alice and Edward must have a say in whether my answers to the questions are correct or not." I had a strong desire to win and I didn't think it beyond Emmett to cheat. Emmett nodded at me with a smirk.

"Alright, _Darling_." He put a great deal of emphasis on his nickname for me. "I hope you realise that with your conditions the questions have just become harder."

_Brilliant… but what's the worst that could happen? Speaking Australian phrases wouldn't be that bad, but it would be great if you didn't have to. It would be great if you could win._

Though I was slightly anxious, I tried to exude confidence as I said, "Ask the first question, Emmett."

Emmett didn't hesitate.

"Before I became a Cullen, what was my surname?" Emmett appeared rather smug as I seemingly pondered how to respond. I didn't think it would be a good idea to appear over confident. After delaying my response long enough, I sighed and hesitantly voiced, "McCarty".

Smiles and looks of bewilderment seemed to form on Alice and Edward's faces and Emmett's eyebrows appeared to rise. I pretended to remain unsure of my response and only grinned when Emmett muttered, "Impressive."

I felt the couch shift beneath me and I was soon lowered so that I my eyes were now level with Emmett's.

"Question two," Emmett carried on. "How did I join the Cullen family?"

It was hard not to blurt out my response, but I kept myself composed. My audience didn't need to think that these answers were too easily attainable for me. I wanted to appear as though I was uncertain - it felt right to appear as though I was uncertain. Luckily, I didn't have to pretend to appear nervous. With all eyes upon me, scrutinising my every response and with my mind in overdrive, it was easy for my breathing and heart rate to increase slightly. I furrowed my brow before offering an answer in an uncertain tone.

"You were injured in a… bear attack?" I looked up to see three pairs of unblinking eyes fixed on me. I sighed before continuing. "Rosalie… she carried you back… and Carlisle changed you." It was silent for a moment and I was slightly unnerved.

_Isn't that what happened?_

I smiled nervously, hoping for some sort of reaction. Then, once again, I felt the couch lower so that my eyes were now level with Edward's. I needed to stay focused, so I quickly met Alice's bright face.

"Very good," Emmett said in a calculating tone and I swiftly shifted my gaze his way. "But this one will really test you."

My peripheral vision caught Edward's head snap in Emmett's direction. Edward's jaw was set in a harsh line and I started to worry about what Emmett had planned on asking me. Emmett's chuckle resounding around the room startled me.

"Don't worry, Edward. I'd never ask her about_ that_." I didn't feel any difference in the position of the couch, but I saw Emmett's left arm rest on and shake Edward's shoulder. "I was just fooling with you."

_What on earth was he going to ask? …Possibly something to do with his and Rosalie's sex life? If that was the case, then thank you, Edward!_

Seemingly placated by Emmett's words, Edward nodded his head in his direction. "Good. Now, can you hurry up and finish this game of yours?"

Emmett pouted. "Let me have my fun, Edward. With you and Alice, at home, no games are truly fun, but since I have to get back to Rosie soon…" Emmett muttered the last part before recapturing my gaze. "This one will be a hard one, Darling. I like calling you Darling, too much. I'm not going to give that up too easily, Darling. Be a Darling and let me win."

I shook my head in bemusement and quickly responded, "Now that you've gotten all the darlings out of your system, can you ask the final question, please? Gravity is getting me down."

A chorale of harmonious laughs echoed around the room.

"Because that was amusing" - Emmett beamed at me – "I will." Emmett cleared his throat, dramatically and there was a glint in his eye.

"How many times have Rosalie and I been married?"

No mind reader was needed to discern the words that went through my head at that moment. My facial expression told all.

_Oh crap!_

The first response that came to mind was, "Too many," but as I mulled over that idea a new one sprung to life. I rested my palms together and brought my joined hands up to my lips before exhaling, deeply.

"Since I don't think you've ever been divorced, you must have only been married once. Although you may have had many wedding ceremonies, they were really just renewing your original marital promises, since they were never absolved. So, yeah… you've only been married once."

I looked around, anxiously, at the vampires before me. Edward's eyes looked to hold approval, but I couldn't be sure, but Alice's bright, soprano tones soon gave me the confirmation I needed.

"Lower the sofa, Emmett. You know that was a good response." I felt my cheeks lift as my lips automatically upturned into a smile.

Emmett sighed and, in admittance of defeat, lowered the couch. I craned my neck upwards to see him fold his arms, look downwards and shake his head. My ears seemed to register the words loopholes and smart lab partners being muttered.

Looking at Emmett, I realised that his visit had been very enjoyable and just what I had needed. He had probably gone against the wishes of his wife to come and see me and, for that alone, he very much deserved something in return.

_And you know just the thing that will make him happy…_

"Em, you're a great bloke and I'm being fair dinkum when I say that this arvo has been beaut."

Emmett's curly, dark haired head snapped up to reveal a picture of euphoria. A huge grin was plastered across his face as he moved towards me and I found myself raising my shoulders and closing my eyes as he lightly scrubbed my head, further tangling my hair. The action felt very much like that of an older brother. I smiled at the thought and peered up from beneath my lashes to meet Emmett's happy eyes, his defeat seemingly forgotten.

"Thanks, Darling – am I still allowed to call you that?"

_Apparently he hasn't forgotten. Well, duh! Vampires don't forget, you idiot! _

I made a show of nodding and Emmett continued.

"It was great, even if I didn't understand much of it." I chuckled and, just as I was about to offer a translation, Edward's beautiful voice met my ears.

"Audrey said that you're a great guy and that she is being genuine when she says that the afternoon has been fantastic." Edward quickly held his elegant hands up and shrugged in Emmett's direction. "Her words, not mine."

I raised an eyebrow and gazed, perplexed, into Edward's eyes.

"You know Aussie slang?" My attention was shifted from Edward's grinning face and to Alice's diminutive figure by her bubbly voice.

"Edward's had a lot of time to fill with studying. Speaking of which, shouldn't you both be headed back to the school." Alice tilted her head upwards and shifted her gaze between Edward and Emmett. "The lunch hour is almost over and I believe I still have some time to spend with Audrey. Don't I, Edward?" Alice folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot as she stared accusatorily at Edward. I laughed at the scene before me. It was amazing how such a tiny person could appear so tall.

"Not that I'm complaining," I said with a slight chuckle, whilst raising my hands, "But why did you visit now, anyway? Couldn't you both wait until school finished?" I said facetiously.

A blur whizzed around the room and, soon enough, Emmett was stood next to me holding some papers in his hands.

"No, I couldn't. Chemistry just wasn't the same without my smart lab partner and I had to see just how much you knew… for myself." Emmett bent down so that his mischievous eyes were level with mine. "These guys over here" – he indicated to Edward and Alice with his head – "Well, they're novices when it comes to investigating situations like these without their gifts. A true expert was needed and I saw that expert in myself."

I felt the eye rolls and stares from Alice and Edward without even seeing them. Emmett winked at me before continuing, clearly enjoying being on a level playing field with Edward and Alice when it came to me.

"Plus, I had to give you your homework directly." Emmett extended the papers to me and I readily accepted them. "Now, Edward, on the other hand, just followed me, me being his favourite brother and all and…"

"We should be going now, Emmett." Edward quickly interrupted in a firm tone and I got the feeling that whatever Emmett was going to say was something that Edward hadn't want shared. Whilst Emmett was a tease, I knew that his care and respect for his brother's wishes outweighed his want of amusement. As such, it didn't come as a surprise to me when Emmett returned to his full height and quickly glanced back at Edward, seemingly in acknowledgement.

"You were saying, Emmett…" I found myself pushing, extremely eager to know what Edward could have possibly wanted to stop Emmett from saying. Emmett glanced upwards as if pondering my invitation and shook mildly with his laughter when Edward interjected again.

"Emmett, let's go."

As Emmett began to move towards the hallway, my hopes of discovering Emmett's unsaid words were squashed. My face must have worn a frown in order for Emmett to address me as he did.

"I'm sorry, Darling, but I, more than most, know that blood is thicker than water."

Alice's ebony hair shook from side to side and I shook with silent laughter.

_Emmett is a handful, but boy is he fun!_

"Take care of yourself, Darling." Emmett winked at me before turning to face Edward. "I'll meet you outside."

Emmett's noticeable absence left the room feeling so desolate, even with the beautiful and caring people that still remained in it.

Without hearing an approach, I felt a coolness permeate my shirt on my shoulder and, instinctively, I shied away from the touch. I regretted my response soon after as I came face to face with my terminally handsome rescuer. His light touch seemed to convey a care and show of thanks, but I also couldn't deny the unmistakable feeling that Edward didn't want to leave, even though he had insisted on doing so with Emmett. His touch reminded me of the moment in the hospital before Charlie made himself known and, once more, I found myself getting lost in his eyes. The air seemed to be expelled from my lungs uncontrollably, just to afford me the space to breathe in more air, as Edward's scent filled my nose. Yes. His physical features drew me in, but so did his very obvious soul that was displayed through his words and actions. Before I knew it, words were escaping my lips in a whisper.

"Will I see you again this afternoon?"

Edward nodded and loose strands of his bronze hair fell in front of his eyes.

Running his hand through his hair, he responded, "Yes. I'll come by later to give you your assignments and Alice will need to be picked up…"

"Yes. Alice would like to continue her conversation with Audrey before she needs to be picked up, Edward." I followed the voice and looked behind the couch to see Alice smiling all too knowingly at a somewhat amused Edward.

"I heard you the first four times, Alice. You're still coming in loud and clear." Edward tapped his index finger against his head. Alice shrugged in an all too innocent way.

"I was just checking."

Edward shook his head and looked down at me with a smile. I could hear my heart beat as if it were the prominent bass line of a ballad.

"I will see you soon, Audrey." I watched Edward move steadily towards the hallway and, just before disappearing from my sight, I saw him acknowledge Alice in an obvious response to her thoughts.

"Yes. I'll tell him, but I think it would be best coming from you."

_Was he referring to Jasper?_

With my mind trying to piece together numerous possibilities that fit with Edward's words, I'd failed to witness his departure, but I knew of his absence. I was suddenly acutely aware of the vacant space around me and I easily registered Alice's change in position.

Alice lithely moved to sit in the seat that she had occupied prior to the impromptu visit and looked up at me with an expression that conveyed bemusement and, it also seemed, nervousness. I couldn't help but wonder if my interactions with Emmett had concerned her. I shifted in my place.

"What's bothering you, Alice?" My tone reflected my anxiousness. Upon hearing my words, Alice offered me a comforting smile and the strain in my chest lessened.

"Nothing is bothering me, Audrey, but I am curious about something." Alice paused then and looked downwards as if contemplating her next words. "You knew about Emmett's past and, even though he didn't share with me much, I know you knew about Edward's past too." Alice paused before her wide amber eyes bored into mine. "Do you know anything about my past?" Alice asked in a tone that suggested vulnerability.

My heart began to ache for Alice, in that moment and, despite all my worries about revealing too much too quickly, I found myself answering Alice almost instantaneously – anything to offer her some comfort, just as she had done for me on that first day of school.

"I do, Alice." I held myself back enough in order to ascertain if Alice did want to know the details of her past. As she, unblinkingly, leaned in closer, I knew that I had been given the green light to continue.

"I think that you're nearly as old as Edward." I found myself struggling to divulge Alice's past to her with phrasings that didn't make it sound too disturbing. "You… you had your gift as a human, but, back in your time, your family… your family thought that you were… mentally troubled." Alice's unmoving frame slightly unnerved me, but I felt the need to continue. I took a few, much needed, steadying breaths. I felt as though I were the bearer of bad news.

"They put you in an asylum, Alice. There was an older vampire working as a physician there. He came to like you. When another vampire wanted to… harm you, your physician changed you and the other vampire, angered… destroyed him… That's what I know, Alice." I waited anxiously for Alice's response as I eyed her still form.

_Should you have told her that? Have you done the right thing, Audrey? Should you have mentioned James by name?_

Alice surprised me when she stood and hurriedly moved to my side. Looking down at me with eyes that held tears that could never be shed, Alice bent down and encased me in a warm hug that could only be an expression of gratitude.

"Thank you, Audrey," Alice whispered against my cheek, but I felt no need to shiver as her cool skin touched mine. "Thank you for sharing that with me." She pulled back, smiling and held me at arm's length. I felt a tear escape my right eye and trace a saline path over the peak of my cheek. I brushed it away with the back of my hand.

"You're welcome." My smile mirrored Alice's and a newfound exuberance could be seen in Alice's pixie features. Swallowing, I realised that I'd become quite parched and decided that I might utilise Alice's good mood.

"Hey, Alice, do you know how to make a cup of tea?"

A few laughs and careful instructions later, I was the proud holder of a warm cup of very nice English Breakfast tea. A few remnants from my baking were placed beside me on the coffee table. Alice had made mention of my stomach's grumbles and how she knew I needed to get some food in me, despite only asking for a cup of tea. I raised my tea, looking at Alice's porcelain face, as if offering a toast.

"To your newly acquired skill."

Alice responded to my grin with a giggle. I extended my pinkie, exaggeratedly, raised my eyebrows and crossed my eyes as I took a sip. Alice shook her head in what appeared to be amusement.

"How hard did you hit your head again, this morning, Audrey?" Alice teased.

I quipped back, "Obviously not hard enough. I need some more sense knocked into me!"

Our resounding chuckles ceased as Alice glided towards the hallway.

"Your Uncle is home, Audrey." Her tone almost sounded disappointed. I glanced at the small clock on the table next to the photo of me and my parents and my happiness at the prospect of returning home was soon diminished by the thought of leaving others behind – others who cared enough to hurry home, even if it would mean more work for them later.

These thoughts mulled over in my mind as I sat sipping my tea to the symphony of metal on metal, ruffles of coats, squeaks of floorboards and muffled voices. It wasn't long before Charlie was at my side, touching my shoulder, in an action reminiscent of Edward's.

"It's good to see you how I left you, Dree. I was worried I'd find you in the kitchen." Charlie then eyed my tea suspiciously. "You didn't go into the kitchen did you?"

I became aware of Alice's presence at the back of the couch.

"Don't worry, Chief Swan, I made Audrey her tea. I wouldn't have let her move even if she'd wanted to. Besides, she knows not to mess with me." Alice winked at me before smiling up at my uncle.

Charlie raised his eyebrows. "That's good to know, Alice."

Familiar notes rang through the air and I recognised Alice's perky ringtone as she excused herself and moved into the hallway. Extremely eager to know who she was talking with and what she was talking about, I almost spilt some of my tea on the blanket covering me. Charlie quickly drew my attention away from Alice's retreating form and I realised that it was stupid of me to have even thought of attempting to listen in.

_You wouldn't have heard a single word anyway._

"How's the ankle, Dree?" Charlie gently sat down on the old, but sturdy, coffee table. I answered Charlie honestly.

"It's fine. I can still feel a slight bit of pain, but, to tell you the truth, I haven't had much chance to think about it." I took another sip of my tea and, although Charlie's gaze was fixed on me, I could tell that his mind was somewhere else. "Are you okay, Uncle Chuck?"

Charlie moved and then rubbed the back of his neck. His voice came out strained.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Dree." Charlie looked down, momentarily, as if contemplating something. He quickly bit down on his lip and then gazed at me with pain in his chocolate eyes.

"When I saw that accident, today and you getting loaded into the ambulance, I worried that I was going to lose you and the similarities between today and those of a month ago have haunted me all day." I watched Charlie intently as he bent over and rested his elbows on his legs. "Well, at least something good came out of today," Charlie seemed to say to himself, but it was almost inaudible.

"What do you mean, Uncle Chuck?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Charlie looked at me again.

"Well, you know how I told you I'd caught Mrs. Cope driving erratically?" On my nod, Charlie continued. "Well, what I didn't tell you was I caught her just after hearing about how that stupid drunk ran into your parent's car." Repressed pain and fury were laced in Charlie's expression and tone as he removed his gaze from me. I felt for him now, more than ever, knowing that, although I had learnt to deal with the loss of my parents, I had the hope of seeing them, again, in my real life, to carry me through. I reached out, teary eyed and grasped Charlie's hand, resting my cup in my lap. Charlie met my eyes and sighing, continued.

"At least Mrs. Cope learnt something, today, from seeing things first hand. I hope that the Crowley boy learnt something too." Charlie spoke to himself, once again and drummed his free hand against his thigh. "I'll be having a chat with him when he leaves that hospital."

I kept my eyes trained on Charlie. Eventually, his attention returned to me and I felt comfort in the gesture of him squeezing my hand. Though he didn't say them, I felt the words 'I love you' being transmitted through this one simple action.

_I love you, too._

The sound of the door opening made Charlie release my hand, stand and move towards the hallway.

"Chief Swan." The tempo of my heart beat increased instantly as I heard Edward's velvety voice.

"Edward. Good to see you. Is that Dree's schoolwork?" Charlie's voice drew closer and I suspected that both men were walking towards my position on the couch. Alice entered the room first, followed by Charlie and then Edward, who moved to place some papers on the coffee table, next to my already delivered chemistry homework.

"Yes, Sir." Edward addressed Charlie before fixing his deep gold eyes on me. "I made a _note_ of what you're expected to do, Audrey." I didn't miss the annunciation of a particular word or the widening of Edward's eyes. I provided some affirmation that I understood his message.

"Thanks, Edward. I'll definitely read over it, later." I could feel my heart beating in my ears when Edward offered me a crooked smile. My vision of Edward was lost, though, as Alice moved in front of me to give me a light hug.

"Sorry, but we have to go, Audrey," Alice said fairly loudly, probably to alert Charlie to their leaving. Moving back, she turned to my uncle. "Chief Swan, Edward and I must be going. Would you like me to spend the day with Audrey tomorrow?"

Although the prospect of a day with Alice thrilled me, I couldn't put the want of having more time with Edward out of mind and, even so, I knew that the expression displayed on Charlie's face was confirmation enough that he would not let a Cullen miss out on school again.

"No, Alice. I've brought some work home with me. I'll help her out tomorrow, but thanks for your help today - yours too, Edward." Charlie spoke sincerely, as he and Alice moved to exit the room. Edward stayed back, glancing quickly in the direction of the stairs. I tried to follow his line of sight, but I was soon distracted by his proximity as he wordlessly tucked some of the loose strands of my hair behind my ear. All too soon Edward disappeared into the hallway. Momentarily stunned, it took a while for me to realise that I was disappointed by Edward's lack of words, but then I closed my eyes and replayed his actions and I could almost recall the exact feel of his marble skin behind my ear.

"Dree, watch that mug!" Charlie startled me as he grabbed the almost tipping cup from my hands, placing it on the table. "Are you okay?"

Still shocked, my words can out disjointedly.

"Yeah, I'm… good. I'm good."

Charlie looked at me warily and I immediately tried to find some sort of a distraction. He didn't need to know that what I had been daydreaming about made my insides tingle.

"Uncle Chuck, can you help me to the bathroom, please?"

The awkward moment came and passed and I found myself back seated on the couch with a pen and my stack of homework in hand. Charlie had moved into the kitchen to order our pizza dinner, so I felt comfortable extracting the intricately folded sheet of paper and reading it. His beautiful handwriting captured my attention instantly.

_Dear Audrey,_

_Thank you for placing your trust in me._

_Sleep well,_

_Edward._

I took a few calming breaths as I caressed the page, feeling each and every indent that he had made.

_Maybe your words, today, in the hospital, provided Edward with something he needed? Maybe he truly listened?_

Hearing Charlie's footfalls louden against the floorboards, I tucked the note in between the pages of my biology work, with a new found hope and brought the large number of maths pages to the top of the pile.

_What has Mr. Varner tried to challenge me with now? I wonder how he would react if he knew I'd done university mathematics. _

I began solving trig equations as Charlie sat in his armchair, one hand holding a can of beer and the other the television remote. Kindly garnering my permission to use the television, Charlie and I settled into a comfortable silence as we waited for the pizza delivery. Charlie reacted almost instantly to a knock on the door, readily standing up and grabbing the cash he had left on the coffee table.

My thoughts did go off on a tangent when my ears recognised the voice of the person at the door.

"Good evening, Charlie. I thought I'd stop by on my way home and see how the patient is doing."

Unsurprisingly, it wasn't my ankle that now throbbed, but my head.

_Why do I get the feeling that I'm about to be submitted to a further examination?_

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Here is your chance to vent your frustrations at me for how long it took to update. :) Or you can just simply offer some feedback, which I love!

**What are your thoughts?**

_**I value your feedback and I respond to every review. **_

**I was SOOOOO happy that the story has received over 400 reviews. It would make me ecstatic if we reached the 450 mark by next chapter!**

_Some things to get you thinking:  
_

_Did you enjoy Emmett in this chapter?_

_What did you think Emmett was going to say that Edward didn't want revealled?_

_How do you think Jasper and Rosalie will respond?_

_Did you like learning more about the events surrounding Audrey's parents' deaths?  
_

_Were you surprised by Carlisle's appearence?_

_...Lots of questions for a long chapter._

** I've been betaing a story by cowgirlep4ec called Impossible to Erase. I think it is a beautifully written and will be an extremely interesting read. cowgirlep4ec is listed under my favourite authors on my profile page. Check her out! Here's the synopsis:**

_Let me sketch you a picture: The new girl in town meets Adonis at an art class at the Community College. Adonis and new girl secretly become close. But Adonis is a vampire. This was my life until I woke up. Now he's gone, but impossible to erase._

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and have a lovely week. Yes. That means that I may update next weekend.

All the best and many thanks,

Karry._  
_


	21. Halfway Gone

Here is chapter 21. At least I updated quicker than last time, right? Someone mentioned it and I tend to agree with them at the moment - I suck at updating. When I'm on holidays, I will make it up to you all.I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Nominations for the Original character Awards are now open. How much do you love Audrey? Enough to nominate her? originalcharacterawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com

Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I love hearing from you all! Anonymous reviews are welcomed! Reviewers get a preview of the next chapter.

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

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Dad, you are the alpha beta!  
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Page Turner

21. Halfway Gone

"Well, Audrey, everything seems to be in order," the blonde haired gentlemen grinned at me and I could still feel the adrenalin fuelled thrumming of my heart against my chest. My hands fidgeted with the pages in front of me in anticipation. I watched as he disappeared from my sight and then fluidly returned, not a second later, producing a rectangular piece of plastic. Having expected some sort of exchange, I eagerly placed my arm across the plastic counter and accepted it. I felt a huge smile form across my face as I gazed down at the holographic details, words and numbers that the little piece of plastic bore. My examination was interrupted by the man's gruff voice.

"Congratulations, once again and have a good day." Realising that I was being dismissed, I made sure to collect all of my belongings.

"Thank you. You, too," I replied in a cheerful tone.

I clutched my items to my chest and had to restrain myself from skipping over to the beaming face waiting for me. Eventually, I reached him and, with a controlled tone, I handed the little plastic card over and grinning, whispered, "Musician or serial killer?"

My Dad's bearded face scrunched up in amused consideration as he twisted and turned my brand new driver's license around in his hands to examine the photo on it from every angle. We always played this game with any official photograph.

"What do you think you look like in this picture?" he asked, handing my license back to me as we walked towards the exit. I looked down at the photo of me on my license and found no need to hesitate.

"I totally look like a serial killer," I laughed loudly and shook my head. I looked up into his grey eyes as we entered the car park and headed towards the car. "You know I look like a serial killer."

"I didn't want to say it. I was worried about what you might do to me." I nudged my Dad with my elbow, but he just laughed and eyed me amusedly. As we continued on towards the car, the humidity and the heat, practically a given for February, became more apparent and I found myself handing my items to my Dad in order to remove my green school blazer, which had been necessary in the cool, air conditioned Road and Traffic Authority Building.

_At least this time you can go back to school happy. _

Images of my last attempt to get my driver's license flashed in my mind. It had been hard to go back to school that day. It had been hard to deal with failing something when I never had before. Luckily, no one really pressed me about the reason for my absence that morning. I'd never had to tell anyone about how I'd failed my first driving test, because my nerves had destroyed my ability to perform a kerbside reverse park.

_But, boy, did you do the perfect reverse park today!_

"Would you like to drive, Miss Provisional Driver?" Dad asked, awakening me from my musings, as we reached our car. I moved to display the required brand new plastic 'P' plates on the front and back of the car and that was all the answer he needed. He tossed me the keys and I skipped around to the right side of the car and sat down in what I thought was the driver's seat… but it wasn't.

My breathing hitched.

I felt the car rumble to life beneath me and soon the outside world was blurring past the windows. I looked at the dash. It had changed, too.

_What's going on?_

Startled and confused, I shifted my gaze to my left, hoping for some answers. My wide eyes met the distinct profile of Edward.

_Edward?_

_Where's my Dad?_

I craned my head around to look at the backseat of the car, but no one was there. However, my eyes took note of a figure becoming smaller and smaller through the rear windscreen. My heart shuddered. I knew who the figure was and I didn't want to leave him behind and, yet, I didn't find myself screaming at Edward to turn back. I didn't find myself unsettled at the fact that Edward had possibly hijacked my car and was kidnapping me. I was surprisingly calm as I gazed at Edward's smooth, pale face and I addressed him in a most accepting tone.

"I'm curious, why are we driving away from my Dad? Why are we leaving him behind?"

I waited to hear Edward's velvety voice, but he never uttered a word and his vision was fixed on the road before him. Perplexed beyond belief, I found myself looking out of the windows. Eucalyptus and Gum trees had somehow morphed into a towering, thick conifer forest. Brown, yellow and light green tones were now lost in a shadowy sea of deep green.

Suddenly, something cold rested on my leg and I didn't need to look down to know that it was Edward's hand - the electricity pulsing through my skin was evidence enough.

"Don't leave me, Audrey."

I moved my eyes to my left and instantly became engulfed by Edward's pained golden gaze. I noticed my reflection in Edward's irises, but something was different. I leaned in closer trying to make it out. It was then that I realised that the golden hues of Edward's eyes were fading deeper and deeper to form an ebony abyss that consumed my image. Suddenly, Edward grasped my thigh harder and I tried to supress a yelp at the pain that ensued. My physical pain was diminished by the splintering of my heart as a tormented sound met my ears. Edward was crying out in a melancholy tone that sounded all too distant.

"Please. Please, don't leave me, Audrey."

I tried to speak as the world around me gradually started to fade into darkness, but my constricted throat refused to make a sound. The black enveloped me, seemingly pulling me further and further away and my heart ached as Edward's silhouette dissolved into nothing.

I continued to descend further and further into the darkness. My anguish seemed to pulse from my chest and follow swirling channels down to my right leg until finally converging to concentrate the pain.

I gasped.

Suddenly, the darkness retracted and my eyes were illuminated by a dim light. Becoming cognisant, I recognised the feeling of the soft blankets, which had cocooned me as I'd slept, draped across the bare skin of my arms. I felt the pressure the duvet exerted against my chest as it rose and fell with my alarmed wheezes. My breathing settled and became more rhythmic as my wide eyes took in the familiar items of my bedroom.

_It was just a dream, Audrey. Ha… a dream. _

My shock abated, my mind no longer ignored the intense throbbing and sharp pain that I knew was emanating from my right ankle. I quickly threw the blankets off and welcomed the cool, crisp morning air and released my ankle from the awkward position to which the blankets had restricted me. I hesitantly raised it and rested it against the blankets gathered at the end of the bed, using them as a pillow. The pulsing throbs gradually began to subside, giving my mind chance to reflect on the dream that refused to be forgotten. Closing my eyes and running my hands across my face, images from my dream were, once again, replayed in my mind.

_Me getting my driver's license… My Dad… Moving, unexpectedly and unwantedly, away from my Dad… Edward moving me away… Edward distressed about me leaving… Edward dissolving away…_

_Me… left in nothing but darkness… _

I sighed and opened my eyes and instinctively looked towards the wardrobe. I was almost certain that my glance at an item contained within, before I had gone to sleep, was the cause of some of the images formed by my subconscious.

After convincing Charlie that I could get myself ready for bed, finishing my rather awkward attempt at a shower and carefully making sure that the curtains of my room were drawn, I'd hurriedly moved to the wardrobe to extract the not-so-blank book from its depths. Strange and a somewhat unidentifiable mix of emotions had flitted through me the moment I had opened it to the last written page. My hands had shaken slightly as I'd realised that I had only 292 pages left to live out in Forks. As I'd returned the book to its hiding spot, resigned to the fact that the book was nearly filled to the halfway point, I found myself being in two minds. I missed my old life and my family, but I dreaded the thought of leaving this life, Charlie, the Cullens and Edward behind. I'd once said to Edward that home was where the heart is and that, when I'd come here, I had left part of my heart behind. Now the remainder of my heart was firmly attached to those special few here in Forks.

…_Perhaps one in particular?_

As the exhaustion of the day began to coax me into a deep sleep, my thoughts had lingered on the ever filling pages of the book. Eventually, my mind shut down and my breathing evened out, having vaguely registered a seemingly cool caress of my cheek.

_Edward…_

I found myself touching my cheek at the memory of the previous night.

_Had he visited, even though Carlisle had been adamant that the family's night would be filled by discussion?_

_Carlisle… _

At first, I'd found myself being extremely nervous and wary of Carlisle's appearance at the door. I wasn't sure why I had been so paranoid, but, nevertheless, my paranoia had influenced my behaviour as soon as I'd registered Carlisle's voice and approached the living area.

-()-()-()-

My hand shook involuntarily, as my inquisitive ears heard Charlie eagerly invite Carlisle inside. Knowing that there was no way I could continue completing my homework, I gathered my papers and placed them on the coffee table, before folding my arms around my waist. I became aware of my elevated heart rate as my right wrist came to rest against my left arm. I took a few controlled, deep breaths to try and calm my heart, because I didn't want to appear overly nervous in front of Carlisle. Then it dawned on me that the few metres that separated the lounge room from the hallway were not enough to prevent the beats of my heart resounding in Carlisle's acute ears.

_For heaven's sake, calm down, Audrey! You've already successfully dealt with Edward, Alice and Emmett. Why is Carlisle's visit any different to theirs?_

Deep down inside I knew why Carlisle's visit was having this effect on me. In my mind, Carlisle was the patriarch – the very wise and experienced member of the Cullen family. From my reading of Twilight, I knew that his words and thoughts held the most weight in a Cullen family discussion, but, in the past, they had always been aided by the knowledge discerned from his use of the resident psychic, mind reader and empath. With Alice, Edward and Jasper's gifts rendered ineffective, it was Carlisle's perception of me that bore the most weight. I needed to convince him of my sincerity. I needed him to feel that I wouldn't compromise his family and that I could be trusted.

Sighing, I set my mind on the task ahead and craned my neck to watch Charlie and Carlisle's approach. Carlisle's eyes met mine instantly and he offered me, what seemed to be, a small smile.

Charlie and Carlisle continued to walk towards the couch - Carlisle looking very businesslike in his black slacks and crisp white shirt - and eventually situated themselves in front of me, allowing my neck to resume a more comfortable position.

"Well, here she is, Carlisle. Your daughter tells me that she made sure the patient was following her doctor's orders." Charlie smirked in my direction, before returning his attention to Carlisle. "By the way, thanks for letting Alice stay with Audrey this afternoon."

"You're welcome, Charlie." Carlisle's smooth inclination of his head accompanied the palliative, level tones of his voice. His golden eyes looked down at me with surprisingly minimal scrutiny. "And how are you feeling, Audrey? I hope that your afternoon wasn't too strenuous."

I had a fleeting suspicion of what a grinning Carlisle was referring to and I had to force myself to supress a scoff as images of Emmett's _elevating_ game raced through my mind.

"No, Dr. Cullen. In fact, it lifted my spirits, considerably, after the events of the morning." I beamed up at Carlisle's wise, unlined face and then continued. "I feel a bit tired, but my ankle isn't causing me much pain. It is throbbing occasionally, but it's nothing I can't handle."

Carlisle nodded as I concluded and gently placed his black leather medical bag on the edge of the coffee table, before extracting some tablets from unfamiliar packaging. I eyed them warily.

_Don't be stupid! Carlisle wouldn't drug you!_

Regaining my composure, I listened to Carlisle as he extended two pills towards me.

"You can take some Tylenol for the pain, Audrey."

Charlie passed me my glass of water that had been resting on the coffee table, even though I still hadn't moved to take the pills from Carlisle's hand. With all eyes on me, I extended my hand, palm up, rather hesitantly, whilst asking Carlisle for some clarification. I did trust Carlisle. I just didn't want to take anything when I wasn't certain what it was.

"That's a paracetamol, right?"

Carlisle smiled at me and Charlie's small chuckles didn't go unnoticed.

"Yes, Audrey."

I looked at both men and tried to defend my questioning between swallowing the pills.

"Hey! It's not called Tylenol in Australia and I would think that you'd be happy that I wouldn't take something without knowing what it is, Uncle Chuck." I gave Charlie a pointed glance, raising my brow to question his amusement.

"Good point, Dree," Charlie conceded, with a smile.

A loud knocking disturbed the moment. My stomach squirmed knowing that Charlie would soon leave the room, giving Carlisle the chance to question me.

_Stay calm, Audrey. You'll be fine._

"Well, that must be the pizza boy, this time," Charlie muttered before moving to answer the door. All background noises were lost to me as I met Carlisle's appraising eyes and waited with baited breath for the many probing questions.

"I'd like to strap your ankle again, Audrey, if you would permit me."

_Well, that was… unexpected. _

"Sure," I managed to mumble.

Carlisle quickly made his way to the end of the couch to attend to my ankle. His cool, light touch was soothing and offered a distraction from the throbbing that was increasing as the bandages were loosened.

_If Charlie hurries up, maybe the discussion that you know is about to happen can be avoided._

"You're an intelligent young woman, Audrey." Carlisle's voice broke the void. "I'm sure you know that your health wasn't the only reason for my visit, tonight."

_No such luck. _

No longer capable of speaking, I nodded my head as Carlisle peered up from his very human paced strapping of my ankle. With my act of assertion, Carlisle continued to speak.

"I've been made aware of and am greatly intrigued by your knowledge. Knowledge is a very powerful thing and, because of this, knowledge can also be dangerous." Carlisle's golden eyes seemed to be imploring me to listen, but I couldn't pretend that I didn't shake upon recognising the possible implications of his words.

_No… The others wouldn't allow Rosalie to come on an assassination mission._

I found myself fixing my gaze on Carlisle's, with every intent to persuade him that I was not a threat to his family's well-being.

"Yes, but please know that I can't and would never share what I know with anyone but your family. I didn't ask for this knowledge, Carlisle, but for some reason I've been gifted with it. In the two weeks that I have been here, I've known your circumstances, but I've kept them to myself. It may seem strange, but I care about you all and I would never compromise your façade."

Carlisle's eyes seemed to look upon me with a new comprehension, as I focused on my breathing, after my rushed admission. Upon gently finishing his strapping of my ankle, he spoke again, with a smile.

"You've provided yourself with a sound defence, even though it was unnecessary." I raised an eyebrow, displaying my puzzlement at Carlisle's smoothly spoken words.

"Audrey, I greatly appreciate your willingness to keep my family's secret and I am touched at your expression of care. My words were only meant as a friendly warning. When I mentioned danger, I was not referring to that posed by my family, but by others of our kind who do not share our respect for human life…"

I found myself interrupting, once again.

"The Volturi?" I whispered before thinking, instantly regretting revealing just how much I was aware of the vampire world. I felt the heat rise in my ears.

Carlisle's smooth demeanour was suddenly perturbed and, after my words, not unexpectedly.

"Yes," he responded in a seemingly stunned tone. His eyes darted towards the hallway before he quickly moved to pick up his medical bag. Carlisle fixed his gaze on me as if my eyes were the window into my mind.

"…and others," He added.

An involuntary shiver ran up my spine.

From Carlisle's actions, I knew that Charlie would soon return and the conversation would have to be terminated. Despite my previous trepidations, I didn't want it to end.

"Do 'others' include Rosalie?" I murmured under my breath. Carlisle paused in his movements, turned to me and shook his head with a grin.

"Although some might have words forceful enough to see us through the night, you will not have to worry about any member of the family posing a threat to you."

I automatically smiled in relief and the image of each of the Cullens sitting around the dining table – that was never actually used for dining – filled my mind. I was reminded of my own need to dine when the smell of pizza wafted towards me.

"The poor kid couldn't find the right change," Charlie said as he carried the pizza box towards the coffee table. "Would you like some pizza, Carlisle?"

Carlisle didn't hesitate with his very natural sounding response.

"No thank you, Charlie, it's family night and I should be getting home, but I wanted to ask you if you would be at work tomorrow."

After making arrangements for the following day and after receiving many thanks, Carlisle left.

-()-()-()-

I knew my paranoia of the previous evening had been unwarranted, but it was a different story when it came to the fears that had incited my dream. There was a very real probability, in fact, a very real certainty that I would have to one day leave this world behind and that day would be sooner rather than later.

The sound of light rain reverberated around my small bedroom as I thought back over the one element of the dream that truly puzzled me.

Why had I dreamt about the day I had received my provisional driver's license?

I was no dream reader, but I knew that being driven away from my father by Edward was somewhat symbolic of my current situation. Yet, I failed to see something that linked the day I received my driver's license to the rest of the dream. Why hadn't I relived my graduation or losing my first tooth? What was so significant about that day and why had I dreamt it so vividly?

_What on earth is going on in my subconscious?_

I was startled out of my thoughts by a knock on the door. Automatically, I hurriedly responded, "Come in," giving little consideration to the arrangement discussed by Charlie and Carlisle the previous evening. I was slightly taken aback when the door opened to reveal someone other than Charlie.

With her soft caramel hair framing her pale, smooth, heart shaped face, I knew that the picture of beauty before me had to be Esme Cullen. Even from her position on the threshold of my room, it was obvious to me that her whole being radiated warmth. When I looked into her gentle eyes, my initial shock was dispelled and I was left feeling rather at ease. Unlike other situations where I was meeting a person for the first time, I found myself feeling comfortable. Esme, on the other hand, appeared to enter the room and smile at me with an element of trepidation. Her slender and slightly less angular frame still moved with an unnatural ease, but I could sense an uncertainty that her eyes could not hide. Looking at her even more closely, I smiled as I noticed the mug held in her hands. My smile seemed to dispel her unease and she soon walked more confidently towards my bed where I was now propped up to more appropriately receive her.

"Good morning, Audrey. I'm sorry for startling you." Esme's voice was filled with sincerity and her tone was as calming and captivating as a soft instrumental number filled with perfect harmonies.

I smiled warmly at her as I moved to sit up a little straighter.

"Please don't be sorry. I should have expected you to be the one at the door." I glanced at the clock on the wall and couldn't believe my eyes. "After all, it is nearly… eleven."

Esme tipped her head slightly to the side and beamed at me.

"Yes, it is. Your uncle didn't want to wake you. He seemed to know that after yesterday you would need your sleep." She gracefully moved forward and extended the mug towards me. I took it with both hands and embraced the warmth that was being spread across its ceramic form, as Esme continued to speak.

"He said that you enjoyed a cup of tea after waking up. I hope that it tastes nice. I followed the instructions that you apparently conveyed to Alice, yesterday."

Eager to please and compliment Esme, I moved to take a sip of my tea.

_Perfect. Would you expect anything less?_

"It's wonderful, Esme. Thank you very much and thank you for offering to stay with me today." I took another sip of my tea and welcomed the feel of the warm liquid as it slid down my parched throat.

"It's my pleasure, Audrey. I know that your Uncle's work hours have been disrupted by unexpected events this past month, but I will admit that the idea of getting to know you was the true reason for my offer to stay here, today."

Esme eyed me anxiously as she awaited my response. Her words didn't surprise me at all. In fact, I had inferred the reason behind her offer to stay with me since I'd first heard Carlisle suggest it to Charlie last night. To be honest, I was flattered by her interest in me. Resting the mug in my lap and running my thumb around the rim, I responded to Esme's admission in the way that felt natural.

"I'm glad that you're here, Esme. I'll confess to wanting to meet you, too." I ducked my head and looked up at her caring face from beneath my lashes. Esme's face was glowing and no longer showed any sign of apprehension.

_Who'd have thought that vampires would be unsettled by you, Audrey?_

Realising that Esme and I would probably be talking for a while, I offered her a seat, even though I knew standing would not cause her any discomfort. Realistically, it was more for my comfort. Esme accepted and moved to sit on the chair by my keyboard.

"Edward said that you played," she mentioned as she gently ran her fingers along the ivory keys. At the mention of Edward, I was instantly more engaged.

_Perhaps Esme can give you a greater insight into his character._

"Yes, but I don't play well." I grinned nervously and ran a hand through my hair. "I do enjoy playing, though." I looked down, contemplatively as my mind drifted to images of Edward, lingering on the way he had looked at me after rescuing me from the van. A lump formed in my throat. "I don't think I'll ever be able to thank Edward enough for everything he's done for me." My words came out in a whisper.

"Audrey, you trusting him is thanks enough. He's been much more chipper since you arrived and, for that, I must thank you." I looked up and was met with Esme's maternal eyes. Her gaze felt penetrating – as if she could see the feelings I hadn't expressed, or as if she were trying to tell me something. Whatever it was, I wasn't sure, but her words made me think back to my dream.

_Was it the result of just wishful thinking? Or, if I were to leave, would Edward truly miss me?_

"Alice has always been happy," Esme continued, "But she's been much more buoyant since your arrival, too." She rested her hands in her lap and seemed to gaze attentively at her slender fingers. "But you probably know this already…" She trailed off.

I didn't hesitate to correct her.

"Actually, I didn't, Esme. I'm not all knowing." I laughed as memories of yesterday flooded my thoughts. "I had a hard time convincing Emmett of it, though."

Esme's melodic laughter seemed to harmonise with my own. As her laughter died down, her golden eyes looked up at me with an alarming intensity.

"But you are aware of my past, aren't you, Audrey?" If she were human, I'm sure her words would have come out strained. It was obvious to me, now, that Esme was concerned with my perception of her, given the circumstances surrounding the end of her human life. I knew that, in Twilight, Edward hadn't shared with Bella how Esme had found her way to the bottom of the cliff and I began to wonder if she didn't feel comfortable with me being privy to the critical details. Esme had told Bella of her suicide attempt, but that was after she had known her for a decent period of time. Her golden irises drew me in and I found myself wanting, more than anything, to provide her with some comfort.

Taking a deep breath, I admitted, "Some of it, yes." I realised that I needed to provide her with more clarification when her eyes remained fixed on my face and her body stayed extremely still, as if she were a statue. "I'm aware of… how you ended… how you obtained the injuries that led you to Carlisle. As weird as it may seem, I like to think of it as providence, Esme."

I offered her a reassuring smile, trying to convey that I didn't think badly of her for her past. Esme readily returned it as she stood and moved towards my bedside.

"It isn't strange, Audrey. I think of it that way, too."

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room lightened. Sensing a lull in any serious conversation, I hurriedly drank the remainder of my tea.

"Now, Audrey, what would you like to do today?" I peered up at Esme from behind the lip of the mug.

_What do I want to do today? You can talk some more, but something light-hearted would be nice._

Instantly, my mind raced to an activity that I hadn't had chance to do since entering Forks.

"Would you like to watch a movie with me, Esme?" I queried.

-()-()-()-

"You seemed to have fun with Esme, today," Charlie noted as he assisted me up the stairs and into my bedroom. Memories of a very enjoyable afternoon flitted before my eyes.

Esme had readily accepted my offer to watch a movie and, after my required human moments, had kindly – in an action that felt rather awkward and surreal to me – carried me down the stairs to situate me on the couch. She'd left me to choose a film, whilst she was retrieving me a bowl of Cheerios. Whilst, I'd been in the mood for a bit of Die Hard - one of the few DVDs Charlie owned - I couldn't see Esme feeling comfortable with the language or excessive violence. Instead, I decided to turn on the Turner Classic Movie channel which was showing the 1939 version of _Goodbye Mr. Chips, _followed by the 1934 movie _The Barretts of Wimpole Street._ As I'd gobbled down my brunch and lounged on the couch in my pyjamas, Esme and I had bonded over our love of these classic films. I had listened intently as she recounted what it was like to go to the cinema in the 1930's and how she would occasionally convince Carlisle to take her on his days off from whatever hospital at which he was working. The afternoon had reminded me of how my mum and I had watched old movies together.

"Did you hear me, Audrey?" Charlie asked, snapping me out of my recollections with the use of my full name.

"Yes, Uncle Chuck," I quickly responded. "I did have fun with Esme."

Charlie shook his head at me as he helped me sit down on my bed. His face wore an amused grin.

"That's good, but I asked you why you've been so down for most of the evening?"

_Even though he had his eyes fixed on the television, he's more observant than you thought._

I ducked my head and ran a hand through my loose hair. I bit my cheek whilst contemplating how to answer. I didn't particularly want to tell him that my sour mood was the result of having no visitors that evening – one visitor in particular. This need and want to see someone on a daily basis was very alien to me and I knew that my mind was fighting to understand the workings of my heart.

When I didn't answer, Charlie crouched down to my eye level and looked up and me from beneath his brow.

"You sure you're okay, Dree?" I nodded.

"Yes… just a bit tired. I'll be right after a good night's sleep," I bended the truth, knowing that some things were better kept to myself. Charlie eyed me as if examining the credibility of my words, before slowly standing.

"Alright, then, I'll see you in the morning, Dree." He smiled at me before turning to exit the room.

"Goodnight, Uncle Chuck."

I sighed and rested my head in my hands as Charlie closed the door.

_Maybe your dream was just wishful thinking… But you'll at least get to see him at school, tomorrow, Audrey. _

_School…_

I drummed my fingers against my forehead as I considered how to deal with Jessica and the aftermath of my supposed heroics. I was just remembering Tyler's attentiveness when an icy breeze blew across my face. Instantly, I looked towards my left and gasped when my eyes caught Edward standing beside the keyboard.

"Oh, crap! Gosh, Edward, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" I breathed out, startled. Edward slowly made his way towards me, eventually mirroring Charlie's earlier action and crouching down in front of me. I closed my eyes and focused on calming down. It wasn't easy. As my breathing and heart rate began to settle he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Audrey, but I thought that you would know I was coming." At the sound of his soft, mellifluous voice, I looked into his sparkling tawny eyes. He gave me his signature crooked grin. I rolled my eyes and raised an eyebrow at his cheek.

"I'll forgive you just this once," I said finding a boldness of my own. It was Edward's turn to raise his eyebrow.

"I'll keep that in mind." He quietly chuckled out. "So you didn't know that I was coming?"

_Definitely not, but I'm so glad you did!_

"I think my reaction is answer enough, don't you think?" It felt strange, but oddly thrilling whispering to Edward in my bedroom. I could almost feel the adrenalin pumping through my veins.

Edward stood and, smiling seemingly to himself, walked towards the chair by my keyboard. His pale skin looked even more pristine against the deep blue of his long sleeved shirt. He looked out the window and I was reminded of the morning when I had found it slightly ajar.

"I did have this feeling that you might have been in here before, though." He turned around and eyed me firmly. He avoided my statement completely and changed the topic.

"Esme enjoyed herself, today." He paused as if mulling over an idea. "Something in her thoughts got me thinking." Edward slowly walked towards me, keeping his eye trained on me at all times.

_Oh gosh! Did I say something today that made him suspect that I have not been totally truthful with him?_

A myriad of statements zipped through my mind in an instant as I stared at Edward, waiting for his accusation.

No accusation came.

"I didn't think you would enjoy the old black and white films."

I sighed in relief and a small smile found its way to my face.

Edward returned my smile and my stomach tightened.

"I realised something, Audrey. You seem to know so much about me, but I know hardly anything about you." My heart skipped a beat at the idea of Edward wanting to learn more about me and my skin tingled as his velvety voice met my ears.

Right then and there, my heart was ready to answer any questions that Edward asked, but my head screamed at me to be cautious.

Edward's eyes glistened as he leant towards me and some of his bronze hair fell onto his forehead.

"I decided that it was time I did some investigating…"

* * *

I have the final exams of my science degree in the next two weeks. Reviews would considerably brighten my study ridden days. Write me a review as a graduation gift?

**What are your thoughts?**

_**I value your feedback and I respond to every review. **_Reviewers get a preview of the next chapter.

_Some things to get you thinking:_

_What did you think of Audrey's dream? What do you think it meant? Why did she dream about the day she got her driver's license?_

_What did you think Carlisle took away from Audrey and his discussion?_

_Were you expecting Esme to spend the day with Audrey?_

_Anyone else like black and white movies? Have you seen the movies mentioned?_

_What about Edward climbing through the window? Was that expected?_

I'll post some links on my profile for some clips from the movies mentioned this chapter and for some pictures showing a driver's license and P plate.

I won't be able to post for another two weeks. After those two weeks, though... I'm on holidays for 3 months!

_How much do you love Audrey? Enough to nominate her? originalcharacterawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com_

Wishing you all the best,

Karry.


	22. Your Thoughts?

We've reached chapter 22 and this is an all Edward and Audrey chapter. I hope you enjoy it, even if it is slightly shorter than the previous few chapters!

Page Turner has been selected to go forward to the public vote of the Original Character Awards. Voting begins on the 1st of December, but I'm sure I'll update again by then. Thank you for the nominations.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I love hearing from you all! Anonymous reviews are welcomed! Reviewers get a preview of the next chapter.

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

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Dad, you are the alpha beta!

* * *

**

**Page Turner**

**22. Your Thoughts?**

_Edward's eyes glistened as he leant towards me and some of his bronze hair fell onto his forehead._

_"I decided that it was time I did some investigating…"_

It was as if, in that instant, I'd been doused with liquid nitrogen. My body froze of its own accord - barely responding to my mind's pleas to remain calm and keep a casual façade. The last thing I needed was for Edward to recognise my uneasiness and relate it to his words – one word in particular.

_Investigating… What does he mean by that? Has he already found out… things?_

As these thoughts flitted around in my head, I noticed Edward's eyes turn pensive. They continued to bore into my own widened eyes from his position beside the keyboard. My heart thumped loudly against my chest and I knew that its response could not be attributed simply to my nerves brought about by Edward's words. Its beating increased erratically as Edward smoothly stepped closer and closer towards my position on the edge of my bed, his face wearing a quizzical expression.

"What are you thinking, Audrey?" Edward's movement ceased when he was about a metre away from me and my head automatically inclined upwards to maintain eye contact. Resistant to tell Edward what had been crossing my mind, I contemplated how to respond and eventually decided to do something revolutionary and actually speak the truth.

"I'm wondering how to respond to your question." I smirked and met Edward's amber irises from beneath my lashes.

Edward raised an eyebrow and this simple action easily conveyed his opinion of my answer. I chuckled.

"Right now, I'm thinking that it's funny that I know that you're thinking that my answer, although slightly amusing, is unsatisfactory and_ extremely_ frustrating," I relayed rather quickly, whilst scrunching up my brow and shaking my head from side to side in a show of faux seriousness. Edward appeared to laugh to himself as he looked down, raising both of his eyebrows, whilst running a hand through his haphazard hair.

"While I'm enjoying knowing what is currently going through your head, I'd very much like to understand why you appeared anxious, just a moment ago." Edward closed the small gap between us and lowered himself into a crouch in front of me.

_Well, he noticed. You'll have to work on your poker face._

Looking down and meeting Edward's curious eyes, a sense of comfort settled over me. He didn't appear angered. He didn't appear unsettled.

_Perhaps he hasn't found out anything. But what did he mean by investigating?_

Although I knew that Edward was a good liar, a small part of me told me that the golden eyes peering up at me truly held a naivety. Eyes like that were hard to resist. They, along with the small smile illuminating Edward's face, implored me to reveal my previously unannounced worries.

"I guess," I sighed. "… I guess I'm just a bit worried about what you mean by 'investigating'." I felt a slight, nervous grin form on my face. "'Investigating' sort of gives the impression that you're trying to find out how many times I've been caught with my hand in the cookie jar."

_If only he knew how far down in the cookie jar your hand is right now. _

Edward's melodious laughter enveloped me.

I found myself releasing a breath that I didn't realise I'd been holding.

"Okay… Judging by your reaction, I'm guessing that you weren't going to force me to reveal all of my interesting childhood shenanigans and embarrassing moments?" I scrunched up one side of my face.

There was a glint in Edward's eye as he seemingly appraised my expression.

"Hmmm… although that sounds interesting, it's not exactly what I had in mind."

I swallowed.

_Surely, if he was going to call me out he would have done so already._

Beginning to doubt my earlier assessment of Edward's ignorance when it came to my situation, I breathed out, "What did you have in mind?"

A momentary pause in the conversation allowed me to hear the rustling branches of the surrounding conifer forest and the delicate shower of rain that tinkled against the slats of the roof. These sounds were the backing track for Edward's transformation. His face suddenly appeared taut and serious and, in an action that was painstakingly slow, he stood and I knew he was gazing down at me. I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn't bring myself to look up and meet them. My breathing hitched when my ears registered the tones of his voice.

"Audrey, what is your favourite colour?" I snapped my head up to greet Edward with a questioning expression. His manner and unmoved facial expression displayed intent. I wasn't sure what to make of Edward's appearance. Was this part of a game that he was playing or was he truly determined to learn more about the various facets of my personality? Having no idea where this conversation would lead, I answered facetiously.

"It's such a serious question… I'm going to need some time to contemplate my answer." I made a show scrunching up my face in thought before returning my gaze to a rather peeved Edward and offering him a grin. "Edward, if you just want to ask little innocuous questions like that, why act so serious?" I queried with laughter filling my tone.

Edward seemed to watch me with curious eyes before his hard façade faded away with the appearance of a beautifully crooked grin. Edward's smile made my stomach twist and I found myself shedding all of my previous trepidation. I felt myself instinctually mirroring Edward's grin. As a warm feeling travelled through me, I felt some of the walls that I had built toppling. I bit the inside of my left cheek as I considered making an invitation.

_Let him know more about you, Audrey. Create a sense of comfort. Have a little chat._

"Why don't you come and sit on my favourite colour bedspread?" I spoke in a soft voice as I cast my eyes down and patted the bed to my right. The heat rose in my ears and mouth became dry.

_Is this what he wants? _

I didn't have to wait long for my answer. I soon felt the bed dip under the weight of something to my right and my nose was assaulted by an alluring and soothing scent. I peered up and was caught instantly in Edward's amber gaze. My heartbeat echoed in my ears.

"Lavender?" Edward inquired and it took a moment for me to register what he was talking about. Snapping out of my Edward induced haze, I rested my hands behind me and leant back into a more relaxed position on the bed.

"Actually, any shade of purple," I clarified casually and smiled at Edward. Half of his porcelain face was illuminated by my bedside lamp, while the other was cast in shadow. It was eerily ironic. I realised then that I wanted to see the shadows eliminated by the light.

_Perhaps little conversations like this can help. _

"I'm guessing the questions don't end there." Edward's eyes glistened at my statement.

"You're usually right and this time is no exception." I tried to contain my chuckle of disbelief.

"Can I have that in writing? It's not every day that a girl hears that from a guy and something tells me that it may come in handy." I was enjoying the light-hearted turn to the conversation and it appeared that Edward was as well. He leant in a little closer.

"Why? Are you planning on spending more time with me?" Edward's tone was playful, but I knew he was being relatively serious. My thoughts ceased momentarily as I became flustered by Edward's proximity, but, as soon as I regained my composure, Edward's question resounded over and over in my head.

My body stilled and my throat constricted at his words. Instantly, images from my dream danced across my mind and a dreary feeling settled over me. Sitting up and resting a hand near my throat, I conjured up a smile and replied, "Time enough to need some ammunition."

Edward smiled widely and showed his brilliant white teeth, but this expression disappeared all too soon.

"I wish you did have something to protect yourself from me and others like me." My heart panged at Edward's forlorn tone.

"Why would I need protecting from you? I thought we'd been through this. Yes. You're capable of hurting me, but I know that you won't." My words came out in a gritty whisper. "If I didn't know beforehand, I think the events of yesterday were enough to tell me that you're more of my protector than predator."

Edward closed his eyes and shook his head.

"You have too much faith in me, Audrey."

I responded automatically and, without giving my actions any thought, I reached out and rested my right hand on Edward's left in a gesture of comfort. The coldness and smooth texture of Edward's alabaster skin made me fully realise what I'd just done. My worries over my unrestrained act were soon forgotten when a pulsing current travelled up my arm and came to rest in my chest. Suddenly, my eyes were assaulted with the brilliant golden hues of Edward's irises. His gaze remained fixed on my eyes and he made no attempt to remove his hand from beneath mine. With my pounding heart seemingly fuelling my confidence, I squeezed Edward's hand ever so slightly and it was enough to feel the unnatural strength that was contained beneath its human exterior.

"You don't have enough faith in yourself," I uttered, gently and sincerely.

Edward's eyes bored into mine and, as my gaze remained fixed on his, I felt the coldness slip from beneath my fingers. Not a moment later, Edward's hand was slowly moving towards face. My breathing quickened in response and I was struck time and time again by Edward's heady scent. His long fingers gently brushed a stray strand of my hair behind my ear.

_Deep breaths…_

"I wish I could understand how those intricate green eyes saw things," Edward murmured as he looked at me intensely. Sighing, he barely ran his hand down the side of my face. "Your eyes are so complex. They reflect you perfectly."

A tingle ran up my spine and my senses indulged in Edward's presence. I wasn't used to such an intensity of emotions. My logical side was being eclipsed by a surge of feelings that were flooding my body and, whilst I was a person who went by feelings rather than just logic, I'd rarely been someone who acted on a whim. There were always more thoughts behind my actions. Every possible outcome of an action would be analysed. Here, I was acting on pure impulse. Once again, I automatically sought out Edward's hand, which had returned to the bed, but this time he pre-empted my action and turned his hand around so that our palms touched. Even though my lips didn't move, I knew my eyes were revealing my smile.

Edward's lips upturned as he put a question to me. "Have you ever noticed how many shades meld together in your irises?"

_Have you ever noticed the complexities of your own eyes?_

Realising I had to answer coherently, I somehow removed my eyes from Edward and began examining the intricacies of the stitching in my quilt. I don't know how my answer popped into my head at that moment, but it did.

"Yes." I smirked as my free hand fiddled with a thread. "My ah… my eyes have a bit of an _eye-dentity_ crisis. They can't decide whether to be my mum's brown or my dad's blue and the result is this murky green."

I peered up at Edward from beneath my brow and was met with that crooked grin of his. Some of his copper hair fell against his forehead as he shook with silent laughter.

"I wouldn't call it murky green." Edward's glance shifted to the wall across from the bed. I followed its path and found myself looking at the picture of my parents. Instantly, an intense longing filled me and my eyes tingled as water misted their surfaces. Edward must have noticed my reaction. He grasped my hand.

_It's cold, but warm._

"That's one of my favourite pictures of them," I revealed. My voice cracked and I needed to clear my throat before continuing. "They look so happy in it." I turned to Edward and he looked at me with sympathetic eyes. A fountain of words seemed to surface.

"Every time I look at a picture from home I'm filled with sadness, but I can't bear to take them down because they also remind me of good times." A part of my dream resurfaced. "When I see any photo, I remember how Dad and I used to classify people based on how they looked in photos." I chuckled to myself. Edward appeared to ponder something before reluctantly speaking.

"In that photo your parents are definitely musicians."

My mouth hung open and I looked at Edward with wide eyes. Still shocked, I struggled to form a comprehensible sentence.

"How did… wait… did you hear my thoughts last night?"

_How much of the dream did he get a glimpse of? Please God I hope he didn't see the end._

Edward appeared to study me for a moment, before nodding his head.

"Yes, I did, Audrey. It bothers me immensely that I can't hear them now. I want so much to know what's going through your head."

_How on earth is he only able to hear some of my thoughts?_

In my shock, I'd withdrawn my hand from Edward's and it now found purpose in pulling my hair out of my face so that I could clearly meet Edward's eyes.

"Right now, I really want to know how much of my dream you were privy to. How much did you hear, or see, or … whatever?" I couldn't hide the fact that I was flustered by Edward's disclosure.

Edward remained still and calm, but I could see his mind working through the flickers of his eyes. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed before speaking.

"There were only flashes of scenes, Audrey. You were getting your license and were showing your father your new card. You both agreed that you looked like a serial killer, although I beg to differ." Edward produced a slight smile before continuing. I waited with baited breath to hear his next words.

"You appeared to be the one driving, because I was seeing things from behind a steering wheel. Both you and your father were singing along rather loudly to the words _and_ guitar solos of Bohemian Rhapsody…" Edward's amusement was short lived when I stopped his admission by quickly placing my hand on his. Whilst that scene he'd described had actually happened after I'd received my driver's license, that moment hadn't crossed my mind at all last night. Part of me was relieved that his mind reading hadn't followed the same path the dream had, but, another part of me was perplexed beyond belief and struggling to fit this new piece into my Twilight puzzle.

_Where did he get those thoughts from? _

Bewilderment surely must have been scrawled across my face as I processed Edward's words. His concerned velvety tones soon met my ears.

"Audrey, what's wrong? Audrey?" I felt his thumb run soothing circles over the back of my hand.

Peering up at Edward's fraught face, I decided to relay the truth.

"I haven't thought about singing Bohemian Rhapsody, Edward. Last night I had a dream about the day I got my driver's license, but it drifted off into something else before I could even recall the singing in the car."

Edward's eyes darted down and turned brooding.

_What is he considering? _

Right then, I wished that I was a mind reader. I desperately wanted to understand how my thoughts had appeared to Edward, but I knew that even his thoughts couldn't explain to me how a scene from my past had played out in his head when it hadn't played out through mine. Nevertheless, his advanced vampire brain might have picked up on something that I had neglected to take into account. I was awoken from my musings by the soft tenor of Edward's voice.

"Audrey, the day in the cafeteria where I very rudely walked out, that was the first time I seemed to hear your thoughts. They shocked me and confused me. In the context of our conversation they didn't appear to make an ounce of sense." He paused and seemed to access my reaction. My brain was in overdrive, but I remained looking at him, attentively, extremely eager to hear his next words.

"Can you remember what was going through your head before my departure that day?"

Quickly, I cast my mind back. Images of flickering snow and recollections of harmonious laughter flooded my head. Whilst I couldn't remember the scene with perfect clarity, I knew that my thoughts had been centred on the joy radiating from the Cullens and the natural family dynamics that I had finally been witness to. Before I knew it, an involuntary smile had formed on my face.

"I can't remember my exact thoughts – unfortunately, I don't have perfect recollections of things – but I know that I was concerned with protecting my lunch from someone spraying snow everywhere." I arched an eyebrow at Edward. "It did cross my mind that you guys didn't care if your trays got covered in snow - I was worried if you'd heard that. Other than that, I was enjoying seeing you all laugh and muck around together. Then… you inquired after what I'd said, but I hadn't said anything.

"Edward, what did you hear?" The smile fell from my face and I felt my brow furrow as I stared at Edward anxiously and inquisitively.

Edward had remained unnaturally still as he had processed my words, but, at my question he retracted his hand from my own and, offering a tentative smile, gently reached to smooth the lines marring my forehead. His cool touch was extremely soothing.

"It had nothing to do with getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar, Audrey. It doesn't deserve your furrowed brow." Resting his hand back in his lap, he continued. "While the situation is indeed confounding and slightly discomforting to me - considering a skill that I've had at hand for the past eighty-eight years is being undependable for the first time – there's no need for you to worry."

_Edward, I have tonnes of things to worry about, believe me, and one of them is how you're going to respond when you eventually learn the truth about me._

Edward must have noticed my look turn forlorn, because his gaze turned inquiring. I brushed it off and began considering his recent words. I laughed softly and raised a questioning eyebrow. I'm certain that my face clearly expressed my astonishment.

"You're lecturing me about not worrying?" I brought a hand to my chest and drew out my words. Edward smirked and I marvelled at how the tone of our conversation had, yet again, shifted so easily. However, my thoughts were still plagued by the question Edward had carefully avoided.

_What had he heard in the cafeteria?_

"You know, if you want me to stop worrying you'd tell me what you heard in the cafeteria." I tilted my head to the side and bit the inside of my cheek. My gaze remained fixed on Edward and eventually I saw his resolve break.

"It is really inconsequential, Audrey. All you need to know is that it wasn't what you were actually thinking at the time, but I will tell what I heard." Edward's tone turned informative as if he were narrating a documentary and I couldn't help but think about how many documentaries that voice would sell. "You were grumbling about having to wake up for school, but that soon subsided when you registered your mother's approach with a cup of tea."

"That does sound like me." I agreed.

I brought a hand to my mouth as I comprehended this new information. There was one thing that puzzled me beyond belief.

_If that was all he heard, why did he leave the cafeteria so quickly and so baffled? It couldn't simply be because he heard my supposed thoughts for the first time, could it?_

I gazed into Edward's shrouded topaz eyes. He was keeping something from me, surely.

"I'm sorry, Edward, but I don't understand why those thoughts would make you leave the cafeteria the way you did. What aren't you telling me?"

I noticed Edward's jaw tense momentarily at my words. When he didn't respond immediately, I knew my suspicions were correct.

"It was the date," he whispered out almost inaudibly. I instinctively leaned forward. "…The date on your alarm clock. You read it, or what I assumed were your thoughts, read that it was the seventh of February, 2006." Edward paused and looked at me, confusion filling his tone. "Monday's date was the sixth, Audrey. How did your thoughts appear to be made on a future date and how did your mother enter them? That is what perplexed me."

_Crap…_

I sat there stunned. I felt my hand quiver. Edward's revelation filled my brain with a million different questions, the most prominent one being, "_How is he able to hear my past thoughts?"_

"How?" I breathed out in a tone that conveyed my incomprehension. I had spoken without thinking and quickly jerked after realising my mistake. I was completely frazzled and my nerves were running thin.

Unexpectedly, two cold hands encompassed my own.

"I knew I shouldn't have mentioned it, Audrey, especially after what you told me about your parents, earlier." I looked up, extremely mystified, into very caring, bewitching eyes. Edward's soft tone caressed my nerves, having seemingly recognised my confusion. "Even though you asked me, I shouldn't have mentioned your mother, particularly in that context. I'm sorry."

I felt the tension in my shoulders fade, gradually, as I realised what Edward was saying. He was totally misjudging what had caused my shaken demeanour. He wasn't attributing my behaviour to his revelation about hearing my thoughts possibly from the future, but to the fact that he had brought up my mother's presence in the context of the future.

Taking a few, much needed, deep breaths, I set about providing Edward with some assurance whilst trying to find out more about what he was thinking.

"There's no need to apologise. You just took me off guard, that's all." I squeezed his marble hand. With apprehension, I continued my inquest. "Why do you think that you're hearing these things from me sporadically?"

Edward gave the impression that he was appraising my expression before answering.

"I'm not sure, Audrey," he sighed. "From what I've learned tonight, it seems that there appears to be some link to your past thoughts and then supposed inconceivable future events. Carlisle and I can only conclude that you act as a scrambler to Alice, Jasper and my abilities. You unconsciously mislead them or make them defective."

_A scrambler?_

What Edward said had some merit. If I didn't know how I had ended up in this world and that I didn't really belong here, the reasoning that had just been relayed to me would be very conceivable, but I knew that the effect I had on the Cullens' powers ran much deeper. Edward's reading of my thoughts had a much profounder meaning, but for the life of me I couldn't pin point what it was.

_Was it merely a connection to my real life? _

_Ha… what is real, Audrey?_

I rubbed my eyes and nodded my head.

"Okay, that makes some sense," I muttered.

Fatigue all of a sudden settled over me and a yawn fought to escape me. The strain of the conversation and the weight of my knowledge could be felt across my shoulders. Edward stood up extremely quickly and a smile appeared on my face when I realised he was removing the decorative cushions from my bed and pulling the covers back.

"You're tired, Audrey. I shouldn't have kept you awake this long. It was entirely selfish of me to come, especially knowing you have school tomorrow," Edward said as he stood before me and carefully helped me balance my weight as I got up from my seated position at the end of the bed. I glared at Edward and shook my head at him admonishingly.

"Just be quiet and stop the self-deprecation, will you? I liked that you came, even if your appearance nearly gave me a coronary… and _we _have school tomorrow."

I felt the gentle shakes of Edward's body that accompanied his laughter as he guided me to the top of my bed. I don't know why, but it suddenly dawned on me that Edward had seen me in my pyjamas. Feeling extremely self-conscious, I thanked my lucky stars that I was wearing my purple patterned flannelettes, which covered me rather well. Even still, they barely sheltered me from Edward's icy touch. Edward helped me ease my right ankle onto the bed and then offered me my sheets, which I pulled up to my lap. I didn't lie down, but instead remained sitting up. As I looked down at my quilt, I was reminded of why Edward had originally come. I chuckled at the strange turnings of our conversation.

"I'm sorry that you only managed to find out that my favourite colour is purple." I offered Edward a sleepy smile. Edward gazed at me tenderly. My heart fluttered as he returned my smile.

"I'm not sorry and you're wrong, you know." I interrupted Edward as an earlier remark crossed my mind.

"I still want your admission that I'm usually right in writing," I pointed my finger and tipped my head to the side, causing some of my hair to fall across my face. Before I had a chance to pull it back, Edward's kind touch could be felt fixing my hair behind my ear. His scent surrounded me.

_Who needs aroma therapy when you are lucky enough to breathe in a scent like that?_

"I learned more than you think, but I still have plenty more questions to ask." Edward's voice was so melodic and soothing that I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open.

"So, instead of an interview with a vampire, I'm going to be interviewed by a vampire?" I managed to quip.

"Essentially, yes." Edward answered with a grin, his voice silky. "Tomorrow is my turn to ask the questions."

"Okay," I whispered, finally relenting to my exhaustion and laying down. "You're going to watch me sleep again, tonight, aren't you?" I looked up at Edward's angelic features with heavy eyes.

He crouched down beside me and ran a hand delicately through my hair - an action I'd always found soothing. His face was grave.

"If you don't want me to, Audrey, I'll go."

With little consideration, I found myself sighing, "You can stay," before my eyes fluttered closed.

With a shower of rain dancing against the roof and the whirl of the wind, I drifted off into the land of unconsciousness, vaguely aware of a sublime melody fading gradually away.

* * *

Everyone's reviews for last chapter brightened my study filled days. Thank you all so much!

**What are your thoughts?**

_**I value your feedback and I respond to every review. **_Reviewers get a preview of the next chapter.

_Some things to get you thinking:_

_Did I surprise you with anything?  
_

_Is Audrey a scrambler?_

_What's going on with Edward supposedly reading her thoughts?_

_Did you like the dynamics of Audrey and Edward's conversation?  
_

_What was your favourite part of the chapter and what are you looking forward to?_

I am on holidays! YAY! So expect an update within the week.

All the best and Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers,

Karry.


	23. Good Question

_**Page Turner has been selected to go forward to the public vote of the Original Character Awards in the Best Non NC17 and Wish Fulfillment chapters. Voting goes until the 14th of December. Do you love Audrey and this story enough to vote for them? **_ http:/originalcharacterawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com

Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I love hearing from you all! Anonymous reviews are welcomed! Reviewers get a preview of the next chapter.

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

**

* * *

Dad, you are the alpha beta!

* * *

**

**Page Turner**

**23. Good Question**

Trying to hide my flushed face, I took a great deal of interest in the landscape that we were passing. With the latest downpour of rain, the outlines of the towering conifers were blurred and I could faintly make out the squiggles of lines, which were surely ferns, blanketing the forest floor. It was almost as if, beyond the barrier of the car, the world of a Monet masterpiece existed. You would expect such a sight to be extremely soothing, but, with the loud squeaking and thudding of the windscreen wipers and the words just spoken resounding throughout my head and nudging me out of my casual reverie, my expression didn't convey a picture of serenity.

_Funnily enough, you chose to place yourself in this situation. _

It was weird to think that a day that was still so young had already delivered so many surprises.

-()-()-()-

The incessant, yet familiar, piercing shriek of my alarm startled me out of my wonderfully relaxed and rare carefree state. Groggily reaching out to try and terminate the awful noise, my hand finally connected with the smooth, cold surface of the alarm button. I was instantly reminded of another cool marble-like touch and the events that had occurred whilst in its grasp the previous evening.

_Oh!_

Dragging myself out of the covers, I sat up and quickly snapped my head around, trying to find any sign that Edward had stayed. My whole body slumped when my eyes fell on nothing but the usual objects in their standard places around my room. Not a thing looked out of place.

_Had he even been here? No… he had been here. Surely, he was here._

With great resignation, my doubting mind realised that, despite what might have happened, I still needed to prepare myself for a day at Forks High. I glanced down at the alarm clock and the green digits, which still glowed in the muted morning light.

_Damn it… you need to get up, Audrey. _

Rubbing the sleep from the corners of my eyes and finding the effort to fling the sheets and quilts off, I carefully moved to sit on the edge of the bed and gently rested my feet on the chilly, timber flooring. There was some pain and unsteadiness where my ankle was concerned and I knew that I'd need the crutches to move about. Peering around the barely lit and shadowed space, I found the crutches resting beside my bedside table. Knowing I didn't want to run the risk of tripping over anything, I turned on my small lamp, which effectively illuminated the room and allowed my eyes to see a folded sheet of white paper that rested against the crutches. The disappointment that had been weighing me down was immediately drowned in a sea of adrenalin.

Leaning against the bedside table for support, I stood and hobbled the small distance over to my crutches, but, more importantly, to the item resting on them. Unfolding the paper with quivering hands, my eyes focussed on the flowing and elegant script.

"_**You're usually right and this time is no exception."  
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen to Audrey Darling.  
Wednesday, 8**__**th**__** February, 2006**_

A grin exploded across my face and my heart leapt with the knowledge and assuredness that the previous night had not been a figment of my imagination. A chuckle escaped me as I continued to peer at the note and the meaning behind it. Yet, the thought most prominent in my mind was Edward's current whereabouts.

_Why had he left before I had woken up?_

My ponderings were disturbed by the sound of heavy footfalls moving towards my room. With one last glance at the writing, that seemed to be too elegant to be written with a ball point, I carefully moved to tuck the refolded piece of paper down the elastic of my pyjama pants. Something instinctual drew me to keep the note just between Edward and myself.

I knew I was still grinning like a fool when I gathered the crutches in my hands and responded to the sharp knocks against the door.

"Come in."

I wasn't surprised when the door opened to reveal Charlie already cleanly shaven and fully prepared for a day's work. He seemed to grin as he met my eyes.

"Someone's woken up in a good mood this morning. All ready to go back to school today?"

_Well, I didn't wake up in a good mood, but, yeah… it's amazing what a little piece of paper and the idea of spending a whole day with a certain someone can do._

Whilst my good mood was under no threat of being shaken, certain thoughts surrounding having to deal with the aftermath of Tuesday's incident buzzed around my head like an annoying blow fly. Even still, I was looking forward to going back to school and spending time with the Cullens, so I nodded at my Uncle, before placing the crutches under my armpits.

"Yeah…" I tried to cross the room using the crutches. _Tried_ was the appropriate word. Shaking my head and hesitantly pirouetting on one of the crutches, I met Charlie's amused brown eyes and joked, "I'm looking forward to learning how to use these things."

Charlie walked over to me with a smirk and gently placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, Kiddo, I'm sure you won't need them for too long." Taking a step back and placing his hands in his pockets, Charlie kindly asked if I needed help with anything. When I assured him that I'd be okay to get ready, he moved towards the door.

"Well, if you need anything, just shout. Call me when you want to come downstairs. Be ready to leave in about an hour?" He ran a hand across the back of his neck, a physical indication of the care and concern that was obviously uppermost in his mind. I smiled, extremely appreciative of Charlie's attentiveness and his eagerness to provide my transportation to school. With my right ankle out of action for a bit, there was no way that I could drive a car. If Charlie wanted me ready in an hour, I would make sure I was ready. I didn't want to inconvenience him anymore than I was already doing.

"Sure. Boil the kettle, please," I chimed with an all-to-innocent expression. Charlie rolled his eyes before leaving my room and I soon heard the creak of the stairs indicating his descent. I practised using my crutches and eventually found my way to my bedside table. Steadying myself, I extracted the note and placed it carefully in my top drawer. It still surprised me that Edward hadn't made an appearance this morning. After all, I clearly remembered him being present the morning after Bella had asked him to stay in Twilight. Then again, my circumstances and experiences had already differed dramatically from those of Bella's in the book.

After a moment of indecision, I decided to move towards the window and see if Edward had taken up residence outside, in the branches of the tree, having known that Charlie would come into my room. Reaching over the keyboard and pulling back the curtains, my eyes were met with the image of very bare and empty branches. Still not certain of Edward's presence, I gently whispered his name.

No response.

No appearance.

_He's not here, Audrey, but if you hurry up and get ready you'll more than likely see him at school._

I tried to buoy myself as I trudged towards the bathroom to begin getting ready for the day. I knew that there was no need to be disappointed, but there was a part of me that was. There was also a part of me that was enlivened, but I was also wary at the very thought of Edward asking me things about myself. I pondered what he would ask, as I struggled to shower and then fix my hair. Unlike other days, I had the strange desire to pay particular attention to how I did my hair. After trying a few different styles, I opted to leave my hair out, but have it softly pinned back from my face. For some very fortunate reason, my natural waves seemed more defined than usual.

Later, as I stood before the mirror in my bedroom, checking that I looked alright in the long purple jumper and jeans that I'd donned, I found myself wondering what crossed Edward's mind when he looked at me.

_Does he simply just admire my eyes?_

My thoughts came to a standstill when I noticed the time.

_Ten minutes to get some breakfast before Charlie wants to leave._

Hastily putting on some earrings and the Swarovski ring my parent's had given me, I placed my satchel strap over my shoulder and awkwardly began moving towards the stairs. I drew out a hefty sigh as I contemplated if I should try my luck at going downstairs.

_To descend, or not to descend: that is the question._

Scrunching up my face, I decided to attempt one step and then see if I needed Charlie's help.

I wasn't given the opportunity.

I nearly fell down the stairs when I saw chocolate and caramel coloured eyes gazing at me admonishingly from their base. Steadying myself and my breathing, I tried to reign in my shock and confusion and hesitantly smiled at Charlie and Edward.

"Hi," I said rather nervously, when no one else broke the silence.

The smallest hint of a smile appeared on Edward's hard face, but Charlie's features remained firm.

"Audrey Darling, what did I tell you earlier?" The subdued tones of Charlie's voice made it all the more intimidating and I immediately began to regret my decision to attempt to descend the stairs without informing Charlie. I looked down and suddenly found the little splashes of dirt tarnishing the white of my converse rather interesting.

"I'm sorry," I admitted before finding the courage to once again meet Charlie's eyes. I hated disappointing anyone. In fact, that was probably one of my greatest fears – being a disappointment. Even though Charlie Swan was not my real guardian, I wanted his approval and I recognised that his actions were driven by his worry and care for my wellbeing.

I watched Charlie ascend the stairs, followed by Edward. When Charlie reached me, he extracted the crutches from my hands and handed them and my satchel to Edward, who readily accepted them. Whilst I was perplexed by Edward's appearance and camaraderie with Charlie, my thoughts flittered to Charlie as he supported and guided me down the stairs and into a seat at the kitchen table.

"You're forgiven, Audrey," Charlie spoke with a slight quirk of his mouth. "I just want you to be careful and call me next time." I looked up at Charlie from beneath my lashes and tried to lighten the mood.

"Don't worry, Uncle Chuck, next time it happens I won't let it happen again."

It seemed to take Charlie a few seconds to grasp what I had just said, but, in the meantime, I became acutely aware of the amused an unexpected porcelain face in my periphery.

"Hi, Alice," I uttered in an unsteady voice, momentarily startled by her appearance.

"Trying to go down the stairs alone, Audrey? Tut, tut, tut…" I raised an eyebrow at her, which only caused her to giggle.

My eyes were instantly drawn to Edward as he entered the room, sans my crutches and satchel, which, I could only guess, were now positioned in the hallway. My wondering mind couldn't contain its questions anymore.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but what are you guys doing here?" I struggled to remove my eyes from Edward's, because he appeared to be looking at me with an alarming intensity, but I eventually moved my eyes to address Alice, as well. Charlie answered for Alice and Edward as he placed a bowl of cereal in front of me.

"Edward and Alice, here, have kindly offered to give you a ride to and from school, Dree." My eyes widened instantly and I fought to contain my smile. However, there was an element of Charlie's tone that puzzled me and I felt the need to ask further questions.

"That would make things easier, for you, wouldn't it, Uncle Chuck?"

Charlie stared at me for a moment before answering in a way that didn't allow me to doubt his sincerity.

"Dree, you don't make my life difficult. Yeah, this afternoon, it would be great if you could get a lift home, but, this morning, I can still take you… if you want." Charlie rubbed the back of his neck and his eyes were unable to conceal his hope that I would travel to school with him.

_Does he want to talk with me about something?_

Making what most would consider a strange decision, I moved my focus between Edward and Alice, who looked upon me with interest.

"Um… thank you for the offer, this morning, but I think I'll still head into school with my Uncle." I paused to regard their reactions, but Alice and Edward's expression didn't give away a thing. "I'd appreciate the ride home this afternoon, though."

Then, in a voice that was practically inaudible to human ears, I hurriedly said, "I think he wants to talk with me about something."

I took Edward's slight inclination of his head as an indication that he understood what I had said, but there was a sort of apprehension conveyed behind the warmer tone of his eyes that suggested he was not too keen on being excluded from the discussion. I realised, then, that Edward knew exactly what Charlie wanted to talk with me about and his eyes seemed to bore into my own before he broke the connection and turned to look at Alice. From that one stare, I just knew that Edward wanted to hear my response to whatever Charlie had to say.

_What did Charlie want to talk about?_

"That's perfectly fine. We'll see you at school, Audrey," Alice chimed with smile and then directed her attention towards Charlie. "Have a wonderful day, Chief Swan." With her bell like voice and bright persona, it was easy to see why Charlie was so fond of Alice. A grin immediately appeared on Charlie's face upon Alice's words.

"You too, Alice." He took a sip of his coffee, before glancing at Edward. I was surprised to see Charlie's smile lessen, slightly.

"Chief Swan," Edward quickly acknowledged Charlie's glance, respectfully, but soon turned to me. "I'll see you shortly, Audrey." The velvety tones of Edward's voice spoke a promise and I would be lying if I said that it hadn't crossed my mind to reconsider his offer of a lift to school.

"Drive carefully, Edward," Charlie spoke in a tone indicative of a polite dismissal. "We should try and leave soon, Dree." Charlie's not-too-subtle hint at Alice and Edward to leave was reinforced by his movement towards the hallway. He waited - coffee mug in hand - expectantly, for Edward and Alice to make their exits.

With what could only be described as a knowing grin, Edward followed Alice into the hallway and I was left alone with my thoughts and a bowl of soggy Cheerios. Realising that I would soon need to leave, I apprehensively began eating the oversaturated rings of wheat. I hated cereal that wasn't crunchy, but today I welcomed it when I realised that, because there was no crisp 'crunch' sound filling my ears as I ate, I could still make out the conversation in the hallway.

"Thanks for all your help, kids. I appreciate it and I know that Dree is grateful for it, too." Charlie paused and I made out an audible sigh. "It wasn't easy for her to come here, you know. In an instant she just lost everything and… just, thanks for making her feel accepted here." It didn't take long for Alice's bright voice to respond.

"Believe me, sir; Audrey is very special to us, too. We're only just beginning to truly appreciate how extraordinary she really is." Alice's compliments hovered around me and made warmth spread through my limbs. What made them all the more special was that she knew I would be privy to them and yet it felt wrong to be overhearing the conversation in the hallway. As Alice's words played over and over again in my head, her intonation struck me as odd.

_Why does it seem as though she is expressing two things at once?_

"You nearly finished there, Dree?" Charlie's voice snapped me out of my musings and made me realise that I'd missed Alice and Edward's departure. When I automatically nodded my head, Charlie reached across me to collect my empty cereal bowl and moved to place it in the sink.

Charlie's movements appeared somewhat different and more awkward around me as he assisted me out of the house and into the car. Very few words were spoken by him, even though it was quite obvious that he was dying to address something. Numerous times I found myself examining his face only to be met with the same furrowed expression each time.

_He's really thinking hard about something._

When Charlie pulled out of the driveway, I decided to be assertive and give Charlie the opportunity to express what was on his mind.

"Uncle Chuck," I began in a hesitant voice, before growing in confidence. "I can tell you want to talk with me about something. It's been written all over your face ever since you helped me into the kitchen this morning."

I shifted in my seat so I could watch Charlie's response. He was staring quite intensely at the road beyond the windscreen. His tensed shoulders relaxed with a sigh and he peered at me from the corner of his eye.

"It's hard to keep something from you, isn't it?" Charlie observed, light-heartedly and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, before he took a deep breath and squeezed the steering wheel harder.

"Well, um… It's probably none of my business… I mean I suppose I have a right to know." Charlie seemed to struggle to find the right words, but, when they did come out, they were spoken with immense sincerity. "I'm not your father, Dree, but I care about you as if you were my daughter." My eyes welled up with an influx of uncontrollable emotions. I fought to contain my tears as I continued to listen to the wonderful man beside me.

"I think it's my responsibility to keep you safe and part of that means knowing about what's going on in your life." He paused and took a deep breath as his warm chocolate eyes sought out mine. I found myself holding my breath in anticipation.

"Dree, is there something going on between you and Edward Cullen?"

My cheeks flamed and I averted my eyes.

_Good question._

-()-()-()-

_Well, Audrey, the man hasn't got all day!_

I followed the path of a water droplet as it twisted and turned down the pane of glass following an unchartered course. Each fractional movement of the car would cause it to take a new path then the one previously determined. How would my answer to Charlie's question alter the path I was on? What would I leave in its wake? Would my presence in this world leave a mark like the droplet's course that had been faithfully recorded in the condensation clinging to the window, or would it disappear just like the droplets' mark with the next downpour of rain? What decisions had led me to this moment?

_Was there something going on between me and Edward?_

_I'd answer him if I knew how to!_

Yes. Every time Edward's stone cold hand grasped my own a surge of current would travel the course of my body. Yes. One look from those intense, soul searching eyes caused my heart to thump wildly against my chest. Then, there was the way that my face had flushed at Charlie's question.

There was no doubt that my body responded physically to Edward's presence, but was that because I was _sucked in_ by his vampire physicality, or… was it more than that?

_Besides, you have no idea what you mean to Edward._

My internal deliberations were put to a halt by Charlie's soft tone.

"Dree?"

I turned my head around and met Charlie's inquisitive face. Sighing, I let the air fill my lungs.

"Why do you think that, Uncle Chuck?" I asked, hoping that his answer may answer some of my questions. Charlie momentarily moved his eyes away from the road and peered my way with a small smile. He placed his hand on my thigh in an action reminiscent of the day of my arrival in Forks. This time, the action did have a calming effect.

"I don't want you to be nervous, kiddo." His face turned more serious. "I'd be stupid if I didn't notice how that boy looks at you, or how helpful he's seemed to be when it comes to you." As I pondered Charlie's statement, my brow furrowed.

"How does he look at me?" I found myself verbalising my thoughts in a whisper. Although it was a question intended purely for myself, my uncle was soon answering.

"With… interest." Charlie raised his eyebrows and looked down at me quickly, after speaking his carefully chosen words, before once again focusing his attention on the road. I couldn't supress my small smile or raised eyebrow.

"Interest?"

Was Charlie misjudging Edward's glances to mean something they didn't or had I been totally oblivious to the intent behind Edward's amber eyes? Recalling his tender expression as he'd tucked a strand of hair behind my ear the previous night, it was if my blinkers were removed and I was able to see more than just the care that drove his actions.

_Don't get your hopes up Audrey._

Charlie's low chuckle drew me back to the present and I watched as he matched my raised eyebrow as if to say "you know what I mean".

"So…" Charlie tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. "_Is_ there something going on with you and Edward that I should know about?"

I looked down and fiddled with the hem of my jumper.

Was there something going with Edward and me? Well, no, not really.

_I mean he did spend the night in my room, last night and we do have enjoyable and challenging conversations and his presence intoxicates me, but can that be classified as "something"?_

I wasn't about to admit those things to my Uncle, particularly when he looked upon me as a seventeen year old and the truthful answer was obvious.

"No, Uncle Chuck. There's nothing you should know about." I swallowed and then continued. "Edward and I are just… friends."

I observed Charlie shake his head as if he had trouble believing such a notion.

"Really, Uncle Chuck," I assured. "I promise that if "something" eventuates, I won't hesitate to tell you."

And really, I would. I didn't think it right to keep Charlie in the dark when it came to the idea of going out on dates. I hated how Charlie had constantly had to remain in the dark in certain situations in Twilight. However, I realised that on _certain_ things, he would still have to remain out of the loop.

_Let's face it… he is already in the dark when it comes to you and your real identity._

Any opportunity I had to tell Charlie the truth I vowed to myself to just that. It was obvious how freely he offered me paternal love and that didn't deserve to be trampled on and left unappreciated. Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair and spoke with sincerity.

"I value your trust and I don't want to abuse it."

Charlie appeared to look upon me with awe. When his eyes remained on me for a prolonged period of time, I began to wonder why he wasn't watching the road. It was then that I realised that the rain had ceased and that we were stopped in the car park of the school.

"How old are you again, Dree?" A lumped formed in my throat and I struggled to maintain a nonchalant appearance. "Sometimes you make me really wonder if it was seventeen years ago that I got to go and see your little baby self in the hospital."

Finding the ability to once again breathe, I found my voice and tried to avoid any awkwardness with a show of humour.

"Don't get all sentimental on me now, Uncle Chuck. We don't want it to seep into that uniform and tarnish that intimidating façade of yours, do we?"

In an action that seemed so natural, I quickly pecked Charlie on the cheek and moved to exit the cruiser. As I was just about to shut the car door, happy to have evaded what could have been a more uncomfortable conversation, Charlie snapped out of his stunned state and leant over the passenger seat to look up at me and hand me my crutches, which I had nearly forgotten.

"Have a good day, Dree. Somehow I have a feeling that you'll be looked after." Charlie indicated with his eyes for me to look over my shoulder. The startling shade of bronze, that could only be Edward's hair, instantly caught my eye and allowed me to follow his movement towards me. Turning my smiling face to Charlie, I shook my head and shut the car door.

"And, Dree," Charlie spoke through the now lowered window, "Keep your wits about you, okay?"

I chuckled. "Yes, Uncle Chuck."

I realised that was easier said than done when a smooth, pale hand reached out in front of me to pick up my messenger bag.

"That sounded like an interesting conversation," Edward's mellifluous voice met my ears and drew me to swivel on the crutches to meet his much brighter golden irises.

_So he'd hunted last night._

"Don't you play coy," I jokingly accused. "How much did you hear?" I carefully and rather slowly began to move towards the school building. The crutches seemed to be becoming easier to handle. Edward easily fell into stride with me.

"Enough to know that I seemingly look at a certain person with interest, Friend," Edward leant down and whispered to me as we passed a group of students clustered around a car who eyed me strangely.

_If it wasn't enough that I received curious looks because I was new!_

Fortunately, or possibly unfortunately, Edward's voice and proximity were enough to alleviate my worries about being the object of wide spread curiosity and I tried to focus on my breathing as I peered up at his face, which could have easily been fashioned by Michelangelo out of an expensive block of marble. However, his knowledge of my conversation with Charlie was enough to reignite my worry.

"Do you look at a certain person with interest?" I found the courage to question. Edward stared at me with an alarming intensity, causing an involuntary shiver to transcend down my spine, before upturning his mouth into a crooked grin.

"Friend, it's my turn to ask the questions today, remember?" I stopped my movement.

"Yes," I relented. "And if you keep calling me friend then I probably won't be your friend by the end of the day," I playfully warned, before continuing on my way towards the school buildings. I was attuned to Edward's presence beside me and with it came the thoughts that had appeared in my head during the conversation with Charlie. Edward seemed unfazed by what he'd heard - which appeared to be the whole damn thing – and instead, had found a way to avoid my question surrounding his interest in me.

_Does that mean that he is interested in me in __**that**__ way?_

"What are your favourite flowers?" I looked at Edward, momentarily, before leaning against a pole. His face was grave, almost as if he were intent on marking things off a mental checklist. I grinned as the image of a bouquet _bloomed _in my head.

"…Lisianthus, peonies and roses."

Edward nodded as he took in my response.

"If you could travel anywhere in the world, right now, where would it be?"

My eyebrows rose automatically as I pondered over my answer. Did I want to say home? Could I think about leaving this place behind? _Anyway, "home" isn't in this world._

"You might expect me to say Sydney," I spoke with consideration, "But I can't decide between Paris and Lake Louise." Edward ran a hand through his hair and brushed the strands that the wind had forced onto his forehead aside.

"Have you been to either of those places before?" He inquired further with a tone and expression that made me feel as if my answers were almost the most important thing in the world. I decided to answer truthfully. After all, he didn't need to know that I visited Paris when I was eighteen.

"I've been to Paris, but not Lake Louise." The wind picked up and blew a large strand of hair across my face. With my hands holding the crutches in place, I was left with no option but to try and blow it away from my mouth.

When a stony hand brushed the stray hair behind my ear, I was made aware of a second option. My blood pulsed loudly against my ears, making me aware of my erratic heartbeat. Edward's pupils seemed larger and I couldn't push the thought out of my mind that he might be looking at me with interest.

_Does he realise I'm looking at him with interest?_

"What's your favourite novel?" A smooth voice asked.

"Sorry?" I breathed out, as I broke out of my trance, to see an amused Edward chuckling.

"I'll assume that _Sorry_ isn't your favourite novel." I felt the heat rise in my ears and I ducked down into my crutches. I welcomed the cool caress of the tiny sprinkles of rain that had begun to fall.

"Well… no." I looked down and used my left crutch to hit a small stone into the car park as I deliberated what my favourite novel was. Although I enjoyed Twilight immensely and though it contained my favourite character, I would never have called it my favourite novel and so I was grateful that it didn't automatically roll off the tongue. "Pride and Prejudice would have to be my favourite novel, followed, not too far behind, by Harry Potter seven."

I didn't immediately understand why Edward's brow automatically lowered with a deep look of concern upon my response.

_What is wrong with my answer? Does he hate the Harry Potter series?_

Worry was surely written all over my face.

"The seventh Harry Potter book hasn't been released yet. How can it be your favourite?" Edward prosecuted.

_Shit. _

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"Cliffhanger Sound"

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Thank you all so much for reading. Fingers crossed next chapter appears more quickly than this one did.

All the best,

Karry.


	24. Bag Carriers

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I know you've waited very patiently for this chapter and I have tried to fulfil many of your Christmas wishes. There's a link on my profile for my Christmas gift to you all. Be sure to check it out. ;)

I wish you all the blessings of Christmas and I hopefully will have another update in which to wish you a happy new year.

Thank you all so much for your continued support.

Page Turner won an award! Page Turner received Runner up in the OC Awards for Best Non NC17 story! Thank you to anyone who voted or nominated the story. That was a wonderful Christmas gift.

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

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Dad, you are the alpha beta!

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**

**Page Turner**

**24. Bag Carriers**

"_The seventh Harry Potter book hasn't been released yet. How can it be your favourite?" Edward prosecuted. _

_Shit. _

I gripped my crutches even harder as I struggled to come to grips with my error. Edward's piercing eyes held my own seemingly demanding a response.

_Is this the right time, Mavis? Do I tell him now after my blunder?_

In the split second that these thoughts crossed my mind, an answer easily formulated in my head and I knew that I had to try and brush off my error. There was a part of me that knew that as soon as Edward found out my secret, he and the rest of the Cullens would be consumed by it and wouldn't get to know me for me. Intuitively, I recognised that the Cullens needed to know me for me and not for my secret.

"Did I say seven? I meant six." I forced the smallest of smiles onto my face, in order to try and eclipse my stunned expression, and looked sheepishly at Edward.

Edward's brow furrowed and he narrowed his eyes as he tried to assess the sincerity of my expression and my words. Eventually, he took a step closer and spoke in an interrogating tone.

"I don't know why, but I have a strong inkling that you did mean to say seven, Audrey." Edward's tone was extremely measured, which made it all the more intimidating. His heady scent continually pummelled me, almost to the point of intoxication.

_Keep your wits about you. He's luring you in, Audrey. He's using his vampire qualities to his advantage… and you can use your humanity to your advantage._

Swallowing, I stood up straighter and addressed Edward in a firm tone.

"I'm not perfect, Edward. I make mistakes."

"I don't think that was a mistake," Edward challenged.

I scoffed.

"Believe me, it was." There was no doubting the sincerity of those words. I had spoken them with absolute truth. I had made a mistake. I had slipped up _big_ time.

"I don't know what you're trying to hide, or why you're trying to hide it, but I do know that you meant to say Harry Potter _seven_." Edward's tone didn't deviate and its uncanny smoothness heightened the shivers already cascading down my spine. His certainty appeared to be unshakeable.

I laughed mirthlessly and the irony of the present situation didn't escape my notice.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Edward peered at me with great intensity. His silence was all the affirmation I needed.

"Well, if you want to spend time with me, you'd better get used to putting up with someone who is less than perfect." Whilst I had set out to put on a show, I realised that there was truth behind the words I had spoken. Edward didn't prevent me from trying to move towards the door of the school building. In fact, he appeared rather taken aback by my words. However, it wasn't long before I felt his touch on my arm. Reluctantly, I glanced to my left to meet his concerned and searching eyes.

"Is that what you think - that I demand perfection?" Edward's tone was one of incredulity. He moved to stand in front of me and stared down at me inquiringly. I couldn't remove my eyes from his. _ "I'm_ not perfect, Audrey." Edward paused and watched as another student walked by, before continuing. "But I'm not stupid either and, from what I've experienced, you don't seem to be either."

My heart rate increased erratically and my breathing hitched, despite my attempts to remain unaffected by Edward's insinuation that I wasn't being honest with him. I began to push open the door to the hallway, ridiculously trying to find some sort of escape, but Edward held the door open and ushered me to proceed.

Edward walked slowly and silently beside me as I made my way down the deserted hallway.

_Maybe you should just tell him, Audrey. Get it all over and done with!_

Despite my inner ponderings, my gut was telling me that it just didn't feel right to admit everything then and there. Once again, I found myself trying to turn the conversation in a different direction.

"I don't _seem_ to be stupid? Have you refrained from making a judgement when it comes to my intelligence?" I paused in my stride and glanced up at Edward with a raised eyebrow.

Edward's striking features mirrored my expression.

"While that was a clever attempt to change the course of this conversation, I know that you're intelligent enough to realise that it was pointless, which only affirms even more that you're trying to keep something from me." Edward slowly positioned himself before me. His eyes bored into mine. "Don't you trust me, Audrey?"

I don't know how I managed it, but I didn't hesitate in giving my response.

"It's not a matter of trusting you or not, Edward. I've already established that I do trust you." Sighing, I reached out and grasped his cool hand in an action that felt so natural. Edward's eyes widened at the contact. "This is a matter of you trusting me. I know it's difficult for someone like you to put your faith in a person without having the blessings of knowing their decisions, emotions or future actions, but I'm asking you to put your faith in me and my judgement."

With a shaky breath, I paused as a group of students meandered, rather slowly, around Edward and me. As soon as they were gone and I focused, once again, on Edward's stoic expression, an influx of unconsidered words instantly left my lips.

"I want to spend time more time with you, Edward. I truly want to spend more time with you and your family. I want you to really get to know Audrey Darling. I need you to get to know me better before I'm able to share certain things with you." Edward remained entirely too still for my liking and a feeling of dread flooded my being as I continued to stare into his gold hued eyes.

_You can't lose him, Audrey._

I shivered as Edward's lowered voice met my ears.

"Audrey, I want to share my time with you, more than you know, but how am I supposed to get to know you if you're keeping a part of yourself hidden?" Edward removed his hand from mine in a delicate motion and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. I watched as he closed his eyes, seemingly in deep thought, before his poignant eyes, again, released their full power on me. "It seems entirely unfair of you to withhold something from me when you are privy to my secret. You trust me? All evidence to the contrary, Audrey."

My face felt as though it were being consumed by fire. My jaw clenched and then quivered from the sheer number of emotions cursing through my body. I was pained by Edward's hurt and harsh tone and his suggestion that I didn't trust him, but, more than anything, I was annoyed. I was annoyed by Edward's reaction, especially when I knew that, if the situation were reversed, he would behave in a far worse way than I was currently. It seemed silly to judge the Edward before me based on his actions, in what I had known to be a work of fiction, but my mind couldn't relinquish the recollections of how he had ignored Bella in order to retain his secret. He'd made her work it out. I, on the other hand, was being far more accommodating and far less abrupt. I had no intention of ignoring Edward and I had every intention of eventually revealing the truth to him. I tried to calm myself as these thoughts ran through my head. Somehow I managed to restrain myself and, not wanting to make a scene, I rested my right crutch under my shoulder blade and extended my right arm.

"Hand me my bag, please," I uttered in a low and strained voice.

A puzzled appearance settled on Edward's face before he complied with my wish. Awkwardly manoeuvring the bag strap over my shoulder, I repositioned my crutches.

When Edward saw me place my bag over my shoulder, he looked at me with an irritated expression.

"Don't be ridiculous, Audrey. I'll carry your bag for you."

"No, Edward," I hastily replied in a scarily measured tone. "I need some time alone with my thoughts and I think you do, too… And, if it's not too demanding of me, I'd like your thoughts to focus on a few things." I lowered my voice to a whisper and moved a step closer to Edward who watched me with great attention. "If I hadn't known what you are, would you have told me, or would you have shut me out when I became inquisitive, in order to keep your secret?"

Edward's startled eyes captured me and held my own as if he were trying to look deep into the recesses of my mind. Spurred on with an unprecedented amount of courage, I manoeuvred my way around Edward and slowly continued down the hallway to my English classroom. I didn't look back and my journey was not interrupted by a cool touch or smooth sound until the trilling tones of the warning bell resounded against the small number of metal lockers lining the walls.

_Where on earth did that come from, Audrey? What were you thinking? You're being unreasonable by not telling him. He's right. No. No! You shouldn't tell him yet…_

My internal castigation was silenced by the sight that met me as I rounded the bend to the English classroom door.

_Jessica darn Stanley… _

I barely managed to supress a growl of frustration. She was twisting a lock of her curly dark hair around in her fingers as she leant against the wall by the classroom door. As easily as I'd noticed her, she noticed me and, instantly, stood up straight and moved towards me.

"Oh my God, Audrey, are you okay? Can I carry your bag for you?" Jessica questioned rather eagerly, but it was hard to truly see her behaviour as a show of concern. I mustered up an indifferent tone.

"No thanks, Jessica. I'm fine."

I didn't have to wait long for Jessica to continue.

"Ah… I… I didn't get to say thank you to you the other day for ah… pushing me out of the way," Jessica stuttered out towards the ground before looking up to meet my eyes. "I did try and catch you at the hospital," she added as if she were trying to cleanse her conscience.

"You're welcome, Jess. Now, I'd…" Jessica interrupted me before I was able to try and announce my need to enter my class.

"I'm just glad you're okay. It would have been awful if Edward hadn't…"

"Yes, it would've." I cut her off, but Jessica was not finished talking. Her eyes seemed to glint in her quest for fresh gossip. The tension in my jaw was palpable.

"I didn't think he dated, but… ah… you and Edward make a cute couple." Thankfully, my shock wasn't enough to prevent my brain from processing and realising the intent behind Jessica's statement.

_She's fishing for information. She's practically asking you if you're a couple._

As I contemplated my response, I glanced downwards and eventually looked back up at Jessica with a very sincere grin plastered across my face.

"Yes, we do. Don't we?" I took great satisfaction in seeing Jessica's eyes widen and her lips twitch, before she seemed to snap out of her daze to reach out and touch my arm.

"Oh! You'll have to tell me all about it in Trigonome…"

I brushed Jessica's hand aside, effectively silencing her.

"That won't be happening, Jess. Friends share things like that with each other." Perhaps I was being callous and cruel, but I really wasn't in a tolerant mood and I wanted to end anything with Jessica before it was allowed to begin. To me, it was apparent that she didn't value my friendship, but, rather, saw it as a means to greater gossip and attention. When I was seventeen I probably would have realised all these things, but would not have had the courage to say no. Now, in my round-a-bout way, I had just done that and it felt good.

For a moment, I wondered if Jessica had comprehended what I had said, but my ponderings were halted when one of her thin eyebrows seemed to rise in disbelief. Feeling quite satisfied, but also quite worn-out, I offered Jessica a tiny grin, before shuffling past her.

"Now, I'm going to class."

Despite the initial few minutes of English, in which all eyes seemed to be trained on me, the class was a welcome period of relaxation. Mr. Mason didn't call on me, as he reviewed the themes explored in Wuthering Heights, and I was able to mindlessly take down notes whilst trying to make sense of the morning I'd just had.

During one stint of my mental self-berating, I became aware of the baby blue eyes of Mike seeking me out.

_Oh please, God… please offer me some reprieve today. Please allow me to avoid Mike today. _

With five minutes to go before the end of the class, I tried to think of any means to avoid him, but with every plan came the reminder of my enforced slowness of pace. My crutches were so perfectly placed that I could see them from the corner of my eye.

…_So much for looking forward to today._

The constant backing track to my thoughts – Mr. Mason's voice – was suddenly silenced by two sharp raps on the door and I, like the rest of the class, turned to try and get a glimpse of the visitor. Unfortunately, Mr. Mason made that impossible when he stepped out of the classroom to address our unexpected guest. I huffed and began doodling on the page with my pen until I was addressed unexpectedly.

_A reprieve! Could it be?_

"Miss Darling, your friend is outside to help you along to your next class." Mr. Mason's tone wasn't harsh, but merely informative, as if he didn't resent the class being interrupted.

_Friend? Is it Edward, even after what I said?_

Fuelled by the idea of escaping Mike and seeing Edward, despite our previous altercation, it took me no time at all the pack up my belongings and hobble towards the classroom exit. My mind was so trained on what was to come that I didn't give a damn about what people were whispering as I moved past them. When I finally reached the door, I was instantly greeted by the bell-like voice and warm embrace of Alice. I couldn't help but smile as she drew me in for a hug. Her scent of honeysuckle reached my nose and her soft, spiked, ebony hair tickled my neck and chin.

"Miss me, Alice?" I chuckled, softly, and raised an eyebrow.

Alice stepped back and straightened my jacket before shrugging.

"What? I haven't had a chance to do that in a while," she beamed, inclining her head in an endearing manner. "Now hand me your bag and I shall escort you to your next class."

I shook with subdued laughter as I eyed Alice and, after several seconds of her staring at me with challenging eyes, I relented and handed over my bag.

"Thanks, Alice. You didn't have to do this, you know," I said, turning to her as we slowly moved down the pleasantly vacant hallway.

Alice replied in a wonderfully sweet tone.

"Well, friends do this for each other, Audrey." I smiled at her in gratitude, my heart warming at her words, but I soon became wary as a mischievous glint entered her eye. "And, apparently, friends can share information on love interests, too, so I hear."

My head, which had turned to the front as we'd continued moving, instantly snapped towards my left as I came to a halt. I stared at Alice with wide eyes, knowing that my comment to Jessica affirming Edward and I as a couple had reached her ears.

_How many __**others **__had heard? Crap…_

Alice giggled freely at my expression, which momentarily eased my panic.

"Don't look so worried, Audrey. You know, I can't see eye to eye with Jessica on many things…"

"Alice, you can't see eye to eye with most people," I joked in between chuckles.

She turned and stood in front of me. Her arms were folded across her chest and her head was tilted to the side and upwards as she glared at me with squinted eyes. Alice gave the impression that she was extremely unimpressed by my remark and, for a split second, I became anxious. My anxiety was soon quelled by the large grin that had emerged on Alice's face.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again – you've been spending too much time with Emmett."

I wiggled my eyebrows in an action reminiscent of Emmett.

"As I was saying…" Alice shook her head and continued walking. I listened intently as I hobbled along after her. "I agree with what Jessica surmised about you and my brother and I was happy to hear that you agreed, too."

I could feel my heightened pulse on the underside of my wrists. Swallowing, I steadied myself to respond.

"Alice, I… I didn't… I said that without thinking, just to purely annoy…"

"Silly, I know you did it to annoy Jessica," Alice interjected, lively.

"Why do I feel as though there's a 'but' coming?" I wondered aloud.

"_But,_" Alice drew out. "You do like Edward, don't you?"

We moved along in silence whilst I contemplated how to respond.

_Yeah… umm…_

_This time be more careful, Audrey. Who knows who's listening?_

Reaching my next classroom, I leant against the wall and welcomed the lack of jabbing against my underarms from the crutches.

Sighing, I looked down at Alice who returned my bag strap to my shoulder.

"I do like him, Alice, but I _like_ you too."

Alice studied my face. Hers wore a rather amused expression.

"Do you like me enough to explain why you said Harry Potter seven this morning?"

My heart skipped a beat and the lump that formed in my throat forced me to swallow.

"Alice, if you heard that then you also heard what I said to Edward afterwards." My words came out in a murmur. Alice folded her arms across her chest and raised one of her perfect eyebrows.

"I thought I'd give you the opportunity to explain things before I start coming up with theor…" Alice's voice trailed off and her eyes seemed to focus on nothing in particular. I watched her expression curiously, recognising the tell-tale signs of a vision. Not a moment later, Alice's eyes once again focused on my face and a small smile crept onto her face.

_Why does she look so smug? _

I held my breath as I waited desperately to hear what she'd seen. When no words left her lips, I initiated the conversation.

"What did you see?"

Alice shook her head and my brow furrowed as her melodic voice echoed in the hallway.

"If you can have your secrets then it only seems fair for me to have some too, don't you think?"

_Damn._

The sound of the bell ringing was the forerunner to loud clangs of metal on metal and an explosion of muffled voices.

Looking down, I realised that I had been stumped. It was impossible to refute Alice's remark, because she was entirely justified in her reasoning. I smiled in resignation and looked to Alice knowing that our conversation had come to a close.

"Thank you for _escorting_ me, Alice." I smiled and reached down for a hug. Alice didn't hesitate to hug me back.

"I'll see you at lunch," I said, pushing my bag strap further up my shoulder, before resting against my crutches. "I'll be right to get to my other classes."

Alice nodded slowly as if contemplating something.

"Okay, Audrey." She backed away from me and offered a smile which lighted up her already bright alabaster complexion. "Think about what I said."

"Which part? It's very easy for me to _overlook_ things," I quipped.

"Oh, a short joke. How very clever of you," Alice said in a voice riddled with sarcasm. Gleaming, she continued, "In fact, you've just shown that you're clever enough to work it out for yourself."

I rolled my eyes as Alice spun around quickly in an action that was very similar to a pirouette and glided down the hall, easily navigating her way around students dawdling to their next class.

_Think about what I said…_

That was all I could think about through my next two classes. They were relatively undemanding, which meant that there was too much time for contemplation.

_Did she mean think about the whole "secret thing" or the whole "Edward thing"? Are they one and the same? Am I not willing to share a part of myself? Am I withholding things for the right reasons? Am I… scared? And what on earth did she see? Too many questions!_

I had to restrain myself from fist pumping when I found out that Mr. Varner would not be in class due to a bad case of the flu. After the events of today, and how I'd responded, who knew if I could have kept my cool. Thankfully, my restraint wasn't tested by Jessica, who seemed to have registered my earlier words and thought it best to sit beside me silently. There was a moment, after I had completed our allotted work, where I had turned to Jessica, only to see that she was really struggling with a particular question. Sighing, I offered her assistance, which she hesitantly accepted and later expressively thanked me for. As I met her eyes before the end of class, it was easy to discern that she was looking at me in a very different light to that first day of school, when she had been spreading rumours with Lauren. Ironically, I'd had two very different interactions with Jessica and both had left me feeling extremely satisfied with the outcome.

This found me heading to Chemistry in an extremely pleasant mood, which was only buoyed by the prospect of spending time with Emmett. However, a part of me was worried that he might question me relentlessly on my slip up. I was sure that word must travel fast amongst vampires.

"Darling!" My large, pale friend exclaimed as I took a seat beside him. "It's good to have my smart, Harry Potter reading, lab partner back."

_Yep… word travels fast amongst vampires, alright. _

"Don't you start, too," I grumbled, placing my head in my hands.

I felt something large and cold rest on my shoulder. Uncovering my eyes, I turned to meet Emmett's warm golden eyes. His smile was infectious and it wasn't long before a grin formed on my face. Suddenly, Emmett peered around the classroom, leant in closer to me and lowered his voice.

"You know, Darling, I don't know why you're so scared to tell us things. Our bite is much worse than our bark. Trust me."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes as Mr. Jones entered the classroom and immediately started the lesson, pulling out a television and a DVD on acids and bases. This effectively put a stop to our conversation, as I at least focused on the television.

Surprisingly, the DVD was quite interesting and humorous and I could pack my things away still associating chemistry lessons with enjoyment. The DVD also initiated a new point of discussion between Emmett and me.

"I refuse to believe that you haven't heard any of those chemistry jokes before, Emmett."

Emmett chuckled and grabbed my bag before I could and walked alongside me as I moved to exit the room.

"I'm being honest with you."

"It's nice to hear someone being honest." A voice I'd only heard once before resounded in my head as we stepped into the hall. Startled, I looked to my left to see the picture of beauty that was Rosalie eyeing me with very clear disdain.

"Hello, Rosalie," I voiced in a restrained, but polite voice. One of her perfectly fashioned eyebrows seemed to rise in defiance. Apparently sensing Rosalie's mood, Emmett moved closer to her, placing her small hand in his large one. I thought I heard him say, "Rose, not here."

Rosalie didn't seem to want to adhere to Emmett's request. Taking a step towards me and flicking a strand of her beautiful, cornsilk gold hair, she produced what I knew to be a faux grin, to not cause a scene and spoke in a subdued tone.

"I don't know what you're hiding, but I want to make it clear that I don't trust you, despite what others in this family may say. You're playing a game and you better make sure you win." I didn't like the sound of what she was implying. Rosalie's glare and words sent a shiver down my spine. One of my crutches nearly fell from beneath me upon hearing her threat. Finally collecting myself, I mustered up a smile and addressed Emmett, who was looking on with concern.

"I thought you said your bite was worse than your bark, Emmett." His lips twitched into a grin.

"Darling, I…"

"Darling? That's what you call her?" Rosalie breathed out, staring at me with menacing eyes.

_Crap._

Before anymore could be said, I felt a presence at my back and I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Edward's arm wrapped around my back and my panic instantly lessened.

"Rose. Leave," he voiced in a guttural tone, as if he was conjuring up an immense amount of restraint. My hairs stood on end as I felt the vibrations of his chest against my back. From the corner of my eye I saw Edward nod in Emmett's direction. Emmett offered me what seemed to be an apologetic smile, before escorting Rose down the hall and out of sight. The tension in my shoulders instantly relaxed. I breathed a sigh of relief as Edward moved to stand before me and reached out with his long, elegant fingers to place a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His eyes were emblazoned with concern.

"Are you alright?" He questioned, softly, his face a picture of worry.

Shutting my eyes and taking a big breath, I muttered, "Yes. Thank you."

We stared at each other until my stomach rumbled, interrupting the moment.

-()-()-()-

"Make sure you finish your punnet squares for homework if you didn't get to finish them in class," Mr. Banner called above the sound of students chatting and furniture being scraped against linoleum flooring. I began packing my things, extremely mindful of my partner next to me who had remained silent for far too long.

There was a sort of static energy between us, but each of us was resisting the need to come together and talk. There were so many words that needed to be said, but neither of us seemed willing to be the first one to break the silence. I certainly wasn't. Silence meant no questions and, at the moment, that idea sounded extremely pleasant.

In the time that Edward and I had spent together at lunch, we had only spoken about extremely mundane things, such as where to sit and what I'd like to eat. We hadn't addressed the big elephant in the room and the tension that had left me when Edward had intervened with Rosalie had soon returned.

As I had eaten, I'd felt Edward's eyes on me, as well as the eyes of his family who were occupying their usual table. Then there were the eyes of the student body, no doubt wanting a glimpse of the newest Fork's high couple, as reported by Jessica Stanley. Taking bite after bite of a sandwich felt awkward and, numerous times, the thought that I may be losing my connection with the Cullens flitted into my mind. It was easy to associate what I was experiencing to Bella's experience after the Van incident, where Edward had ignored her for a month. If this was the Twilight I knew, that was what would have been happening. It felt as though the relationships I'd worked towards were falling to pieces.

_You had to make that stupid slip up, didn't you?_

The only thing that had really disturbed the silence at lunch – the moment that had perplexed me greatly – was when Edward excused himself from the table for about five minutes with no explanation whatsoever. He'd returned to help carry my bag to Biology and had remained silent ever since.

I shook my head as I packed away my pen and pencil.

"What are you thinking?"

I turned around and looked at Edward with wide eyes.

"Oh, so you're talking again?"

_Obviously the censor between your brain and your mouth is malfunctioning today. _

"I believe you were the one who asked me to spend some time with my thoughts," Edward's velvety voice reminded. His face was expressionless.

Zipping up my bag, I sighed and slumped over it.

"I'm sorry for snapping, Edward. It's just that the silence was infuriating me." I met his golden eyes. "Silence means that I'm left to my thoughts."

Edward hesitantly rested his hand on mine and I welcomed his consoling, smooth touch. My heart started dancing in my chest. Realising the classroom was quickly emptying, Edward released my hand and moved to carry my bag. Entering the hallway, we stopped by the edge of some lockers and I rested against a wall.

"You've obviously been thinking about many things. Would you like to talk about them?" Edward carried on where we'd left off. It was an extremely ingenious way to try and gather more information surrounding my words this morning. I just smiled and looked up at his bronze covered head from beneath my lashes.

"Edward, there's not enough time to talk. We have to get to our next classes. Well, you do, at least. I don't think I'll be doing much, besides sitting, in P.E."

That crooked grin of Edward's made an appearance.

"Actually, we have plenty of time to talk. Instead of you just sitting around in P.E, I'm going to take you home," he spoke with surety. My brow creased with confusion.

"I'm not going to ditch class, Edward," I emphasised with a shake of my head.

"You won't be ditching class, Audrey. I organised for me to drive you home now."

I leant my head to the side.

"When on earth did you do that?" I questioned, loudly. "And nice of you to ask me if that's what I wanted, by the way," I added as an afterthought.

"To answer your questions; at lunch and I thought I was doing you a service by making sure you didn't have to spend time in Newton's company," Edward spoke swiftly and with a hard jaw. He closed his eyes momentarily and ran an overwrought hand through his hair. I became fixated with the contrast between the various shades of his hair and his alabaster skin. Opening his eyes, Edward sighed and his face showed vulnerability.

"Is it a crime to want to talk with you, Audrey? I just want to talk with you." His tone was soft and sincere and without a moment's thought, I found myself making my way to the school parking lot.

"I want to apologise for Rose's behaviour," Edward said, easily falling into stride with me – the temporary invalid.

I welcomed the cool Fork's breeze as it blew across my face and ruffled the hair that I'd paid so much attention to this morning. Intuitively, I glanced up at the reason for my attentiveness.

"It's alright, Edward. To be honest, I expected it."

We reached the Volvo and Edward, as I anticipated, opened the passenger door for me and assisted me into my seat. Every time he touched me a tingle travelled along my skin and my heart leapt in my chest. I focused on my breathing as Edward made his way to the driver's side and observed the car. It was a _nice _car.

"Are we allowed to discuss you expecting Rosalie's behaviour?" Edward queried as he started the ignition and moved out of the parking lot, obviously having a dig at my lack of discussion about a certain Harry Potter book. I turned around in my seat to face him.

"It doesn't take a genius or someone with my weird ability, to work out Rosalie's behaviour, Edward. She's been avoiding me since we met and from the moment Alice introduced us she's disregarded me," I explained quite passionately.

A silenced settled over the car and my stomach was doing twists and turns, not from the feelings I was experiencing, but because of the speed at which Edward was taking corners. He was taking them smoothly and almost too perfectly, but still my motion sickness was kicking in.

"Can you please slow down a fraction, Edward," I whispered, wearily.

He caught my expression and slowed down immediately.

"I'm sorry, Audrey. You get motion sick?" He asked in a worried tone.

"Yes," I breathed out, afraid to nod my head. "May I put a window down?"

"…By all means. It will be beneficial to me, as well."

"Is my scent that strong?" I asked with concern, opening a window.

Edward paused momentarily before glancing in my direction.

"It's extremely alluring, but not irresistible." Edward's smooth voice uttering those words made my insides tingle.

"Obviously it's not irresistible, otherwise I wouldn't be here right now, would I?" I said, light-heartedly.

A smile crept onto Edward's face.

"Very true."

I breathed in the fresh, moist air as Edward drove us away from the town and towards my house and my head began to feel much better.

"I thought about what you said, Audrey," Edward's voice encouraged me to face him. I waited patiently for him to say more.

"If you hadn't have known what I am, I would have tried everything to have kept it from you." I felt the muscles in my jaw tense at the intensity of Edward's tone. His eyes met mine, briefly. "I can understand the desire and need to keep secrets, but now that you share my secret, I am having a difficult time trying to fathom why I can't share in yours."

I let out a deep breath that I'd been holding.

_What should I do? Should I tell him something?_

I played with the hem of my top.

"I'm worried what you'll think of me, if you find out. I don't want to be a person who's lost to the details of their situation. Can you understand that?" I murmured, glancing up apprehensively.

Edward pulled into the driveway and I continued to watch him as he turned off the ignition. Eventually, he turned and reached for my hand.

"I understand what you're saying, but I can't see that being an issue." Edward ran his thumb along the back of my hand in soothing circles and I tried to control my breathing.

"You're not worried that I'm a bad guy?" I asked in a slightly humorous tone.

Edward's beautiful laughter filled the car. I grinned. When Edward stilled, a newfound intensity existed in his eyes.

"Audrey, I will try and work out what you're hiding."

I ran a hand through my hair.

"I don't doubt that for a second."

"Then why keep it from me now, when you know I'll eventually find out?" Edward challenged. I smirked and rested my chin on my hand. I stared out at what some might call a gloomy landscape.

"Everyone loves a good puzzle, Edward and something tells me that brain of yours might enjoy the challenge of trying to work out how I could have read Harry Potter seven." Edward rolled his eyes, took his hand away and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You enjoy teasing me, don't you?"

_Yes._

I chuckled and instinctively tried to nudge him, slightly – an action that was fairly pointless.

"Oh, come on! You know you love me for it," I said flippantly.

Edward's eyes snapped to mine and my whole body stilled as he stared fixedly at me. I became lost in his topaz gaze and my heart thudded wildly. I knew Edward was looking at me with a new intensity. Suddenly, the stillness of the moment was broken as Edward's mouth twitched.

"Yes," he breathed out, fashioning his lips into a smile. "Yes, I do."

* * *

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Leave me a Christmas present?

Make sure to check out my profile and the link to your Christmas gift, apart from this chapter, to you. :)

**What are your thoughts?**

_**I value your feedback and I respond to every review. **_Reviewers get a preview of the next chapter.

Did you like the way Audrey acted in this chapter? It was a little fiesty, yeah?

What did you think Alice saw?

Did Audrey handle Jessica well?

Happy to see Emmett?

What about Rosalie?

Do you understand Audrey's reasons for not telling the Cullens everything yet?

What was your favourite thing that happened in this chapter?

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Hopefully there will be another post before the new year.

Best wishes,

Karry.


	25. One Step At a Time

HAPPY 2011! I hope this year brings you many blessings! Thank you for all your well wishes for the Christmas season. I hope you enjoy this belated New Year's gift.

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

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Dad, you are the alpha beta!

* * *

**

**Page Turner**

**25. One Step at a Time**

The loud rumblings emanating from the laundry came to a stop. The house grew eerily quiet as I took a bite of my muffin and followed it with a sip of my tea. I was really relishing the silence and the solitude. Whilst I greatly enjoyed being in the company of certain individuals, I'd always been a bit of an introvert. I needed time to myself to reflect and rejuvenate and that was exactly what I'd been doing this overcast Saturday morning. Glancing at my Chemistry homework calculations one last time, I easily moved from the kitchen table, which was covered in papers and books, to the laundry. I was still wary of my ankle, but the small sprain had healed itself nicely and it was no longer causing pain. Charlie had left the crutches by the table, but my good mood had made me determined not to use them. Having reached the laundry safely, I turned to glare at the darn things.

"Adios, crutches!"

I shook with laughter at my absurdity, but, with no one in the vicinity for a little while, I could be as absurd as I liked.

_Gosh it feels so good not to have any eyes on me!_

Squatting down, I managed to open the tumble drier without any difficulty, despite my lack of experience using the device. In Australia, we were able to dry our clothes naturally, most times of the year, by hanging them on the clothesline. That just wasn't the case in Forks – fictitious or not.

It felt nice, dragging my bed sheets out of the drier and into the basket. My cold fingers were instantly warmed by the clean, soft sheets. As I began to transfer clothes from the washing machine to the drier, I couldn't help but think how nice it was to experience a moment of normalcy. If I'd been at home – well, my Australian home – I probably would have detested having to spend my Saturday doing chores, but, in this world, where I always seemed to have to be on my toes, normal, mindless, mundane tasks were nice.

_I can't believe you're actually thinking that doing the washing is fun!_

Shaking my head, I picked up the final items of clothing to be washed and started placing them in the washing machine. I stopped when I reached the top I'd worn on Thursday. As soon as I touched the fabric, my mind was flooded with memories and I felt my mouth form a smile. As I brought the purple top closer to my face, I was hit with a scent too perfect to be that of lingering cologne. I breathed in deeply, multiple times, just savouring the scent and trying to commit it to memory. As I did this, the recollections of how Edward's scent had infused itself into the fabric overtook my thoughts.

-()-()-()-

"_Yes, I do." That's what he said, didn't he?_

For a moment, I stopped breathing. My mind's wheel was turning at an immeasurable speed as it tried to comprehend that I'd heard what I'd just heard. How could such a facetious comment provoke such a sincere response?

_Is he admitting that he loves me?_

I continued to scrutinise Edward's face in an attempt to understand if I had garnered the true meaning of his words.

_Is it wishful thinking on my part? Gosh… I __**do **__want him to love me._

My heart thudded as if it was trying to break free of my body. When the inevitable burn started to spread inside my chest, I inhaled a shaky, but deep lungful of air. A squeak echoed around the car as I squirmed in my seat and denim was rubbed against leather. As I swallowed, I noticed Edward's brow appear to furrow with concern. Hesitantly, he leant over and grasped my hands. I closed my eyes and smiled as the familiar spark diffused across my skin, almost numbing my mind and removing the worries and concerns that should have been ringing alarm bells. I was strangely unaware of the coldness of his touch. I registered every one of my breaths as Edward drew soothing circles with his thumbs against the backs of my hand.

"Did you mean what you said?" I whispered with my eyes still closed.

Edward's thumbs stilled and my eyes flickered open. I was happy to see that there was no strain in his expression, but I became extremely anxious of his response. There were thoughts brewing behind his eyes.

"Did _you_ mean what you said to Jessica, or what you said to Charlie?" Edward probed in a surprisingly light-hearted tone, but there was an eagerness that came through in his intonation and posture.

A multitude of thoughts began whizzing around in my head. What was the truth?

With great effort, I broke eye contact with Edward and rested my eyes on our joined hands.

"I guess, if I'm to be honest with you, I was just trying to annoy Jessica, this morning. I did mean what I said to Charlie, but" –I met Edward's eyes – "… I don't think I believed what I was saying." I grinned before continuing. "I mean… that's not to say that I don't think of you as a friend…"

My insides felt like they were doing somersaults as I trailed off, waiting for Edward's voice to cut through the sound of the now pouring rain hitting the roof of the Volvo. It was as if the rest of the world was being _drowned out_.

Edward's golden eyes looked upon me with a glorious intensity.

"How _do_ you think of me, Audrey?" he asked, his voice smouldering.

My stomach grew heavy and my shoulders tensed as I was confronted with the question that I'd avoided answering during my time in Forks.

Enraptured by the power of his gaze and the pungency of his scent, I didn't think before words spilled from lips.

"You're more than a friend, Edward," I murmured, ducking my head. "That's how I think of you, even though you hardly know me and I haven't really allowed you to."

Edward's hand left mine and I soon felt him ease my chin up so our eyes could meet. An endearing smile had found its way onto his face.

"For once, you're wrong, Audrey." Edward's tone was one of amusement and I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle when I heard his words. When my laughter subsided, Edward reclaimed my hands and spoke in a voice ringing with sincerity.

"Yes, you have your secrets, but that hasn't stopped me from becoming acquainted with the resilient, caring and selfless person behind those deep, olive green eyes."

My breath caught in my throat and the overwhelming number of feelings cursing through me found a release in the form of a tear. I brushed it away quickly.

_Am I truly caring and selfless? Is it selfish of me to talk with him like this when I'll be gone so soon? Will he still think of me that way when he learns the truth?_

Edward's hand moving against my own stirred me out of my ponderings.

"Now, they're like swampy green eyes," I joked in a thick voice, not knowing how to respond to such kind words. Nerves were jangling and I automatically ran my right hand through my hair. Averting my eyes from Edward's intense scrutiny, I murmured, "I umm… I don't know what to say to that except thank you." I glanced at Edward and mirrored his small smile, before I had the uncontrollable urge to admit one of my deepest fears. "I just wonder if you'll always see me that way."

Edward peered at me quizzically for a moment. He released my hands and reached out to run one of his long, cool, elegant fingers down the side of my face. I closed my eyes and leant into his touch.

"Why? Do you plan on becoming a heartless, selfish defeatist anytime soon?" Edward quipped.

I opened my eyes and scoffed, "No."

Edward produced that wonderful crooked grin of his.

"Then I can't see there being a problem on that front, Audrey." The way he said my name sent a buzz of energy down my spine - just like hearing the muted tones of a trumpet in a soft jazz number.

For some strange reason, I didn't resist the urge to contain my thoughts.

"What if I'm already selfish? What if me being here with you, me _wanting_ to be here with you, is an entirely selfish act?" I asked, my voice strained, as an ache became apparent in the pit of my stomach.

Edward removed his eyes from mine for the first time in what felt like hours, although it had only been minutes. My heart pounded erratically as I waited for his contemplative eyes to return to mine.

"I'm struggling to see how that could be the case." The words left Edward's lips smoothly. "I don't believe I gave you a choice in the matter of me driving you home. If anything, I'm the one being entirely too selfish, Audrey." Edward paused rather dramatically. "And I'm going to continue to be selfish and ask you to continue being selfish – if that is what you're being."

Edward cupped my cheek in his hand and the tension in my jaw was released. My eyes remained fixed on Edward's and I saw a very content looking face reflected back at me in his dilated pupils. I took in the moment and all the sensations that came with the moment. I tried to memorise the way Edward's bronze locks fell across his forehead and the way my cheek burned with an unparalleled energy as Edward's icy, porcelain skin came into contact with mine. I was so aware of Edward that I easily noticed the playful glint that entered his eyes.

"Besides, how am I going to solve the mystery of Audrey Darling if I can't spend any time with her?"

A grin formed on my face so easily, upon hearing Edward's playful remark, and, regardless of whether I was being selfish or not, I knew that I'd comply with his request. Edward withdrew his hand and looked at me with an amused grin.

"The Mystery of Audrey Darling… That makes me feel like the femme fatale in a film noir," I chuckled, raising an eyebrow as I fixed my ring that had slid up my finger.

"Ah… should I be worried where you procured that ring from, or, should I say, _whom_ you procured that ring from?" Edward reached for and raised my right hand, as if wishing to examine the ring. While his words were good-humoured, his movements seemed very controlled.

_What on earth is going through that mind of his?_

I eyed him curiously before answering.

"Oh, Edward, I couldn't possibly tell you," I said, overdramatically, in an American accent, bringing my left hand to my cheek. "They'd never forgive me if I told you." Edward erupted into laughter at my antics and I joined in, also finding amusement at my lame attempt at a femme fatale impersonation. When our laughter died down, I answered Edward seriously.

"In answer to your question, I don't see why you should be worried." I paused and the grin that had found its way onto my face disappeared as past images clouded my mind's eye. "I _procured_ it from my parents. Well, they gave it to me," I said wistfully. "It was a birthday present."

The tension that had appeared in Edward's movements seemed to instantly dissipate.

"I can understand why you wear it all the time," Edward spoke in a solemn tone and looked down at the ring again.

"What were you worried about?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity when it came to his very recently eliminated rigidity. Edward's wide eyes instantly shifted to mine. When he didn't respond instantly, I raised a challenging eyebrow. Relenting, Edward gently removed his hand from mine and ran it through his disarray of brilliant, bronze hair.

"Observant," he said more to himself than to me, before sighing. I smiled at the human idiosyncrasy he'd retained. "I had wondered if a boyfriend had given you the ring," Edward admitted gradually, seemingly watching me for my reaction.

I couldn't help but laugh at the idea. I was reminded of what I'd shared with Mavis before I'd ended up in the Forks of Twilight.

"_Sometimes I think there is a sign stuck above my head that only guys can see that warns them to stay away from me…"_

_Maybe I left that sign behind in Sydney. _

I responded to Edward's comment honestly.

"Edward, no guys paid me any attention. Well, not until I came here." I glanced down and played with my fingers. "I just wish Newton would stop paying me attention," I huffed and then smiled, after returning my eyes to Edward and being greeted with a small grin.

"So, you're not opposed to boys, other than Newton, paying you attention?" Edward pursued. His eyes appeared bright and inquisitive.

I leant back and looked at Edward in astonishment.

"Would I still be sitting here, if that were the case?" I said slowly, with a smirk.

Edward stared at me with amusement plastered in his expression and addressed me in a slightly patronising tone.

"I think being a hundred and four years old takes me out of the boy category, don't you, Audrey?"

"Oh, forgive me," I responded quickly and sarcastically. "It's just… you look so good for your age," I smirked.

Edward rolled his tawny eyes. I shook with silent laughter at his expression. For some time, I didn't utter a syllable and just admired the masterpiece that was Edward's face. I was very aware of my chest vibrating with each heartbeat. Edward's eyes made me reflect on the happenings of the day and I was amazed at how one day could cause so many varying emotions and eventually leave me as content as I was now.

_But is Edward content? You didn't exactly allow him to ask questions today._

"I can see your mind working behind your eyes. Please, tell me what you're thinking." Edward's velvet tones broke me out of my musings. I smiled up at him, tenderly, my neck hurting mildly from my lack of mobility in the confines of the car.

"Since you asked nicely…" I paused and ran a hand through my hair. "I was thinking that I hadn't really allowed you to ask me questions, like I'd agreed to."

Edward nodded at my admittance. I continued.

"I'll answer your questions, but would you mind interviewing me in the comfort of my home?" I queried, rubbing my neck. Before I could blink, my car door was being held open by Edward, whose hair and skin was covered in droplets of fresh rain, making him look all the more striking. After looking up at the sky, Edward shrugged off a brown leather jacket that I hadn't even registered him wearing. My eyes had been totally drawn to Edward's face. I watched with interest as Edward moved to rest the jacket on me, hesitating only before it touched my skin.

"May, I?" He indicated to the jacket and, with a slightly quizzical brow, I nodded.

The soft leather was cold, but it carried a scent so heavenly that I couldn't control my urge to surreptitiously sniff it. Instantly, my tense muscles relaxed as I drank in the scent that was all Edward.

"Would you allow me to carry you in, Audrey?" Edward's breath tickled my ear. I shivered before responding shakily.

"Sure."

Edward's strong arms delicately reached behind my back and knees and I was soon held close to Edward's chest and I felt at home, even before we had reached the front door. Before I could tell him to look in the pot plant for the key, Edward had already bent down to extract it and the door was quickly opened.

I couldn't draw my eyes away from Edward's face as he moved us towards the living area, the only sounds discernable being my breath and the now torrential rain hammering the surrounding forest and the roof of the house. Edward moved so fluidly that the floorboards didn't even squeak. He placed me on the couch as if I were a delicate antiquity. Brushing the hair out of my face, he spoke to me in a mellow voice.

"I'll give you a few seconds to prepare for the interview while I go and collect your things." He indicated to the window, where you could barely make out his car, parked in the driveway behind the waterfall of rain.

Offering him a thankful and understanding smile, Edward left the room and I indulged in the scent of his jacket once more.

_Vanilla, honey, sandalwood… This is my type of aromatherapy._

"Are you comfortable?" Edward's voice echoed around the living room and I turned to see his usually copper hair damp and darkened by the rain. Whilst his normal hair colour was stunning, his current appearance was leaving me tongue tied.

_Stop ogling him and answer the poor guy!_

The logical part of my conscience urged me out of my stupor.

"I'm fine, Edward." I smiled, before offering Edward a seat. He moved to sit next to me on the couch, but not so close that we were touching. Mentally sighing in disappointment, I turned, lifting my legs carefully so that I could easily face Edward, whilst resting my neck on the back of the couch and relaxing my ankle. When I was comfortable, Edward addressed me.

"Are you ready, Miss Darling?"

I giggled.

"Are _you_ ready, Mr. Cullen?"

-()-()-()-

Smelling the top I'd worn on Thursday one last time, I placed it in the washing machine. Collecting the basket with my sheets, I carefully walked through the kitchen to the hallway, where the stairs to my bedroom awaited me.

_You can make it up those stairs, Audrey. Your ankle's fine._

Resolved to make it up the stairs, I moved forward and tucked the basket under one of my arms, so that I could place an arm on the railing for support.

_Just take it a step at a time. The last thing you want is to injure your ankle when it's just healed._

I tentatively greeted the first step and was surprised at how easily my ankle was holding up.

_Just keep going one step at a time…_

As these words reverberated in my mind, my thoughts automatically drifted to reflections on the relationship between Edward and myself. There had been clear steps that had helped us reach the level of understanding that we currently had of each other. Our discussion, and Edward's resulting questions on Thursday, had been one such step. As he asked me about my likes and dislikes, I'd been very careful to be conscious of release dates of music and films. I couldn't help but think that Edward was trying to trip me up, whilst also satisfying his desire to know me better, but perhaps I was simply paranoid, after my mistake that morning.

_Yeah, you can totally climb these stairs, Audrey. Charlie would not be impressed if he saw you right now, though._

When Charlie had arrived home on Thursday to see Edward and I chatting on the couch, his eyes had instantly met mine with a wry glint. Unknowingly to Charlie, Edward was very aware of our silent conversation. When he left soon after, with the promise to provide my transportation to school on Friday, and his own promise to me to visit later that evening, Edward grinned at me crookedly and indicated amusedly to Charlie as he was escorted out.

_You never did ask Edward what Charlie had been thinking, but, then again, you didn't need to. _

I paused in my ascent of the stairs and shook my head as I recalled Charlie's insinuating glances the past couple of nights. He hadn't spoken anymore of our conversation regarding Edward, but, with looks like that, he didn't have to speak. He knew I was getting his message and, to some extent, I was happy and appreciative that he seemed to have taken seriously my promise to tell him if Edward and I were any more than friends.

Content that my ankle had been well rested, I continued to make my way up the stairs. I sighed in relief when I reached the door to my room. Nudging it open with my side, I careful moved towards the unmade bed.

As I stared at the bed, my mind drifted to memories of Thursday night. Instantly, I felt slightly guilty. Whilst it felt so right to chat with Edward before I went to bed, it felt so wrong to do it under Charlie's unsuspecting nose. Then again, Charlie couldn't be made aware of everything. That just wasn't possible. Yet, it _was_ possible to be honest with Charlie about my feelings for Edward and so I began planning how I would tell him tonight at dinner.

A strong wind rattled my closed window and I was reminded of why it had remained closed last night. Nothing bad had happened on Friday. In fact, things could only have been better if Rosalie hadn't have given me filthy glares every time our paths had crossed. As I'd sat on my bed on Friday evening, reflecting on my day, I'd wondered how many more days of my experience were left. This drew me to, yet again, extract The Book from the depths of my cupboard and eagerly scan the pages. Three digits had been my mind's constant companion ever since.

_Two, five, three… 253 pages._

Two hundred and fifty-three pages until I could see my family again. Two hundred and fifty-three pages until I was ripped from another family. My heart ached for something that I had lost and wanted to regain and for something I had gained and the prospect of its loss.

Exhaling deeply, I walked towards the window and opened it. The wet wind whistled around my ears and tickled the bare branches of the sturdy tree before me. I let the rejuvenating, cool air hit my face. Closing my eyes, I could almost imagine Edward's palms against my cheek.

_It's your time alone and all you can do is think about Edward… Then again, how much longer will you have with him?_

Edward had picked me up on Friday and I'd answered more questions. It seemed as though he'd spent every moment while he was watching me sleep making a list of things to ask. Things that I thought were mundane were made to feel important in the mere seconds that they were discussed. When we'd arrived at school, the day seemed to fly by. Alice and Jasper both greeted me – much to my appreciation – and Emmett acted as if Thursday's run in with Rosalie hadn't occurred at all. Instead, he whispered chemistry jokes as we performed a titration. Utilising his Vampiric vision to obtain extremely accurate endpoints was vicariously enjoyable, knowing that I was cheating, if only a little – something I had never really done before. Before I could even leave the chemistry classroom, Edward had appeared by my side and had escorted me to the cafeteria. My Friday afternoon had been much like my Thursday afternoon, except, this time, Edward and I actually talked for most of it. Edward had decided to take discussions to another level as we'd sat at my kitchen table going over Biology homework.

-()-()-()-

"Audrey, what would you say to spending the afternoon with my family, tomorrow?" Edward's careful tone instantly attracted my attention and I looked up from my pages to meet his hopeful eyes. Edward was extremely still as he awaited my response and if I didn't know any better I'd say he was nervous.

"That depends," I said slowly. Edward inclined his head to the side and watched me intensely. "How's Rosalie's mood been and are we spending the afternoon on your turf or mine?" Edward scoffed and his stiff posture instantly dissolved.

"Rosalie will not be an issue," Edward said with great certainty, before raising his eyebrows. "And, where do you think?"

Edward's expression and tone told me in no uncertain terms that I was being invited to the Cullen residence. Instantly, I became giddy and a smile exploded across my face.

"Shall I bring the family around here for midday?" Edward queried, indifferently.

_What?_

My expression became one of bewilderment. I just stared at Edward's face.

_Did I get the wrong idea? Doesn't he want me to visit his place?_

My bewildered expression diminished as a smirk crept onto Edward's expression. He shook his head in amusement.

"Audrey, you're losing your touch. I thought you would have _known_ that I was joking."

I huffed, crossed my arms across my chest and glared at Edward in a show of faux annoyance. He merely chuckled at my antics.

"I don't know everything," I spoke annunciating every syllable. "And even if that was an invitation to your beautiful, faded white, three-storey house in the middle of the forest, I don't know if I'd accept." Edward stared at me wide eyed – presumably from my accurate description of his residence - whilst I forced a look of indignation to my face, but it was soon broken when my lips quivered with laughter. Edward and my chuckles filled the kitchen.

"So, shall I pick you up at midday?" Edward asked, as our chuckles died down, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"No," I responded quickly. Edward raised his eyebrows and looked at me with scepticism.

"How about eleven thirty?" I smirked. Edward reached over and pulled gently on the end of my ponytail. I was surprised, but enlivened by how carefree and light Edward was acting around me.

"Alright, eleven thirty, then." Edward's golden eyes bored into mine and my stomach fluttered. "As soon as Charlie gets home, I'll ask for his permission and, if he allows you to visit," – I rolled my eyes at the notion – "then I'll have to go and inform the family, since Alice won't be able to break the news to them," Edward explained rather smugly, inclining his head in my direction at the last part.

I performed an exaggerated sigh and looked up and shook my head. "I know. I'm such an inconvenience."

Although I was sure he recognised my sarcasm, Edward soon moved to place his hand on mine.

"You're not an inconvenience," he breathed ardently. "If anything, you're a puzzle," he mused. "How walking into a house filled with vampires doesn't frighten you, I will never know."

_He always comes back to this, doesn't he?_

"Ah… because I know that the said vampires have a tendency to follow an alternate lifestyle and diet that does not involve harvesting my blood for consummation and then, there is the fact that I think they like me. Well… most of them," I answered cheekily with a Cheshire grin.

Edward's face did not hold the cheerful expression that I had hoped for. His brow was puckered and his face was grave.

"We do our best to not give into temptation, Audrey. Please, don't become complacent when it comes to being around us."

_Am I being complacent? Am I not concerned enough with what occurred in New Moon? No. Be aware, but show trust._

Edward released my hand and stood up as the sound of a car in the driveway filtered through into the kitchen. "Charlie's here. I won't be back tonight. The family will want to hunt before tomorrow. That is, if you still wish to come."

I reacted by standing and placing my hand on Edward's arm.

"I'm coming," I stated firmly, my manner like that of a businessman closing a deal. Edward looked deeply at me as if he were trying to understand the inner workings of my mind, before nodding his head in resignation. I smiled my satisfaction towards him, then took my seat and began looking at my Biology notes, once again. "Now, go and work your magic on Charlie."

"Yes Ma'am."

-()-()-()-

Edward had worked his magic on Charlie, who was extremely pleased to hear that his still injured niece would have company for the majority of his work day. Turning my back to the window, I glanced at the clock on my bedside table and noted the time.

_Eleven fifteen… just enough time to make this bed and then you're all set._

I'd been so keyed up, this morning, when I'd thought of the day I had ahead of me, that I'd gotten dressed and ready as quickly as possible. I was thankful that I'd chosen to wear my black tights with a long deep green sweater dress and black, lace boots, because I was able to move very freely in them as I moved around the perimeter of the bed. Trying to tuck one of the sheets under the top corner of my mattress, I bumped the clock radio and grinned as an idea entered my thoughts. Moments later I was tuned into some pop radio station and blaring Summer Rain by Belinda Carlisle through the speakers. I danced and sang with no inhibitions as I made the bed and it felt wonderfully freeing and relaxing. My ankle didn't even ache from the excessive movement.

At eleven twenty-five, I'd moved down into the hallway, rather buzzed from my dance session and was waiting with my coat, sans crutches, for my dangerously gorgeous, vampire chauffer. At eleven thirty on the dot, there was a knock on the door and, in less than a heart-beat, I had the door wide open.

I gazed at the specimen before me, appreciatively. He wore jeans, a grey, long-sleeved t-shirt and the same jacket that he'd draped across my chest on Thursday. His copper hair was draped in its usual, but splendid, unkempt fashion and his eyes shone bright gold as they appeared to appraise me. He was handsome, but what made him all the more attractive was that I knew he was beautiful on the inside too.

"Hi," his velvety voice greeted, making my skin tingle.

"Hi," I whispered, grinning and feeling my ears heat.

"Are you ready to go?" Edward inquired. I answered by moving to stand beside him outside, before closing and locking the door. As I was doing so, Edward's voice scolded rather than questioned me.

"No crutches?"

"No." I answered, producing a cloud with my warm breath and then began making my way to the immaculate Silver Volvo.

Edward was in front of me in a flash, his eyes looking at me admonishingly as he opened the passenger door.

"Edward, will you stop looking at me like that! It was a grade one sprain – only minor. You should know that. You've been to medical school," I reasoned, softly.

Edward chuckled dourly to himself, before helping me into the car.

I sat back comfortably in my seat and breathed in the scent of the car, as Edward made his way to the driver's side.

"Your knowledge never ceases to amaze me," Edward mused as he reversed out of the drive and onto the road. I just smiled and settled back in my seat as Edward took the car, at a reasonable pace, towards the 101 Highway. He seemed to grin amusedly to himself, before extending a finger towards the radio. I sat bolt upright with wide eyes when the opening notes of Summer Rain filled the car. My cheeks flamed as I considered the likelihood of the song coming up by sheer coincidence. Any ideas of that were squashed when Edward's amused voice carried above the music.

"Repeat performance?"

I peered up into his jovial, twinkling eyes.

"Not on your… _existence_, Edward," I breathed out, fiercely, but embarrassed. I smiled, abashedly, when Edward's chuckles melded into the music. Eventually, I joined in, finding amusement in the situation.

"Well, I've given you two performances now," I chimed in and instantly my mind began to try and work the situation to my advantage.

"_Two_ performances?" Edward raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I thought you were supposed to have a perfect memory," I quipped, grinning mischievously. "You listened to me play Moonlight Sonata."

Edward offered me a sideways glance as he steered the car so easily and smoothly along the bends in the road.

"Yes, I did," he admitted, slowly.

I shifted in my seat.

"Well, then, I think it's time you gave me a recital, don't you?"

* * *

**What are your thoughts?**

_**I value your feedback and I respond to every review. **_Reviewers get a preview of the next chapter.

Well, a big day at the Cullens' next chapter and some progress in the Edward and Audrey relationship.

No questions for this chapter, but I'd love to know what stood out to you and any ideas you might have about what's in store for Audrey and Edward.

Also, I wrote a One Shot which is an All Human Bella and Edward fic. I think it's a cute little story, but I'd love to know if you think the same. It can be accessed on my profile page.

Best wishes,

Karry.


	26. Worlds Collide

A/N: I'm back! I apologise for my absence this past month. The New Year kicked off slightly stressfully for me. Anyhow, I've tried to make up for the long wait with the longest chapter yet. I hope you enjoy it.

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010**

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Dad, you are the alpha beta!

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**Page Turner**

**26. Worlds Collide**

It felt like I was living a fairy tale. Essentially, I knew I was in a world of fiction, but I'd never really felt - for lack of a better description – the magic that I was experiencing, as Edward manoeuvred the car swiftly and smoothly along the narrow and shaded road. Glancing around at the landscape beyond, my skin tingled with the adrenalin that came from not knowing what lay beyond the confines of the depthless array of conifers and rich, green undergrowth. The surrounding forest brought with it a sense of mystery and the sheer size of it was rather intimidating. My whole body seemed to tense up instinctually. A fleeting image of a young boy and girl trying to trek through the expanse of leaf and bark filled my mind's eye and, like Hansel and Gretel, I knew my eyes would soon be assaulted with an alluring house that was a stark contrast to its surroundings.

_Let's just hope the Cullens' aren't planning to lure you in, fatten you up and then devour you._

As soon as the thought had entered my head, I erupted into giggles and brought my hand up to my mouth to try and smother my laughter.

"What's so funny?" Edward's entertained voiced questioned my chuckles. "Care to share?"

Still grinning, I quickly responded to the smooth, melodic tones of Edward's voice. Directing my gaze away from the limitless greenery, I turned to see a seemingly perfectly sculpted profile, only noticeably differing from the great Renaissance artists' works by the crooked grin raising its cheek. I stared at Edward, for just a moment, as his eyes remained fixed on the winding road. A strange feeling cursed through me at the thought of my being responsible for the happiness evident in Edward's expression. Edward didn't afford me the luxury of just staring much longer. His bright, golden eyes snapped away from the road and towards mine, almost imploring me to end my silence and allow him access to the thoughts behind my laughter.

"I don't know if I should share," I said in a voice filled with mirth, as Edward's eyes returned to the road. "You've had your fair share of amusement for one day, don't you think?" Edward's grunt of frustration only fuelled my enjoyment.

"Do you know how utterly frustrating that is?" Edward sighed, with a pointed glance my way. My unmoving grin seemed to be answer enough for him. "Of course you do," he muttered, shaking his head as he directed his eyes back to the road.

After a short chuckle, I decided I'd had enough amusement at Edward's expense. His quick glimpses away from the road were enough to tell me that he really wanted to share in my merriment and so, with some trepidation, because I was slightly embarrassed by my thoughts and because I didn't want Edward to start wallowing in self-deprecation, I relented.

"Alright, alright…" I turned to look out at the blur of deep green, considering how to phrase my thoughts. "This whole journeying through the forest to an unknown destination just reminded me a bit of a Grimm's fairy tale."

Edward met my eyes with an air of scepticism.

"You're editing, because that isn't that funny and, besides, it's not an unknown destination. You provided me with a perfect description of the house, yesterday." He raised his eyebrows challenging me to disagree.

_He's getting too good at reading you._

For a moment, I contemplated what Edward had said.

"You're right," I eventually admitted.

"I usually am," Edward stated smugly.

I rolled my eyes and spoke in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm glad you said "usually" and not "always". I wouldn't want anyone to think you're arrogant."

Edward grinned and there was a glint in his tawny eyes.

"I choose my words carefully, just like someone else I know." He stared at me, inclining his head in my direction, before, once again, focusing on the road.

Edward's words, once again, reminded me of my constant endeavour to hide my secret. I realised that I had always been one to think before I speak, but the burden of analysing every thought and action before speaking or moving was taking its toll. The notes of inquisition that permeated Edward's demeanour were becoming more and more noticeable and I couldn't help but wonder if he had an inkling of what I was concealing from him and if his patience with me would soon wear thin.

"_Care to share?"_

_Maybe the time is coming for me to share… Damn it, Mavis!_

Taking a deep breath, I did what I do best when confronted. I tried to divert the conversation.

"Well, Emmett has proven to be a master at choosing the right words for the right time."

Edward scoffed and shook his head as a grin began to inch its way up his cheek.

"He's not going to let you forget that one."

_Ha?_

Edward, seeing my confusion, merely tapped his head.

"We're close enough for him to have heard?" I queried, hurriedly. Edward nodded and it was obvious that he was enjoying this far too much.

I was just about to say something directed at Emmett when I noticed a thinning of the woods. My breath caught in my throat when Edward directed the car around a bend.

_Are you sure you aren't in a fairy tale?_

Before me was an idealistic safe haven. A large, pristine lawn of grass, bordered by three ancient cedars on each side, framing the beautiful house set a fair way back. The many branches of the trees covered the house in shade and almost veiled it entirely, making it appear even more like a mystical, hidden treasure.

My heart rate rose dramatically as the Cullens' house came more and more into view. I couldn't remove my eyes from the large, three storey structure, whose clean, faded white walls were a stark contrast to the dark forest. I'd pictured this house in my head many times, but Bella's description hadn't done it justice. It was a spectacular piece of Colonial Revival architecture. Some would say that its rectangular frame was plain, but the symmetry and little charming features made this house very easy to gawk at. It was a reflection of its inhabitants – physically unblemished and attractive to the eyes, whilst having certain features or quirks that set them apart from others of their kind. The care and pride that Esme took in her work was evident, from the deep green shutters framing each period window to the wide porch that surrounded the first floor and sheltered the welcoming deep green door from the elements. It was as if Esme had taken my dream doll house as a child and made it a reality.

I registered the car coming to a stop, but I remained still and just sat there gaping at the house in wonder. With the car engine now stopped, I could make out the distant sound of water as it cascaded and flowed over rocks, making the once daunting forest seem almost tranquil.

"It's stunning," I murmured in a breathy voice, my thoughts no longer able to be contained.

My eyes were diverted from the house when Edward's hand covered mine and, as usual, a tingle travelled straight up my arm. His eyes held warmth in complete contrast to his touch and, as my eyes met his, I could feel this warmth being transferred to me and accumulating in my chest. Edward's velvet tones only added to the splendour of my current surroundings.

"Does that mean you like it?" He queried, ridiculously. The question was far too silly to even warrant an answer. I merely raised my eyebrows and inclined my head to the side in an action that screamed, "Seriously?"

Edward chuckled to himself, before abruptly rolling his eyes. Seeing my perplexed expression, he offered an explanation to his actions, as he moved to extract the CD, with which he had taunted me earlier, from the CD player.

"We have an audience, Audrey – a very eager audience," Edward's usually smoothed voice was laced with annoyance, albeit amused annoyance. As soon as his words had reached my ears, my eyes instantly started scanning my surroundings. In the shade of the porch, I was able to discern two figures and, from their respective sizes, I didn't have to be a mind reader to know that they were Alice and Jasper. Such a realisation was enough to encourage me to grin in their direction.

_Is Jasper restraining Alice?_

I was about to wave when Edward caught my attention by applying the slightest of pressures on my hand still resting beneath his, effectively eradicating any other thoughts that did not involve him from my mind.

"Ready?" he asked, his golden eyes seemingly scrutinising my response. Suddenly, the nerves and adrenalin that had been mildly supressed earlier came back with force in my stomach. I exhaled a deep breath, exaggerating it slightly for show, to try and calm myself.

Running my free hand through my hair, I responded in a soft voice, in an attempt to supress some of my excitement.

"Yeah, I'm ready when you are."

A second later, I felt the crisp, cool Fork's air hit the right side of my face. Edward stood at my open door offering his hand to assist me out of the car. Although I knew of Edward's chivalrous behaviour from my reading of the Twilight Series, I was still happily surprised when I was the recipient. I realised then that, though I loved being shown courtesy, I was more enamoured by the chance to look at and connect with Edward as he acted attentively. I watched as the small strands of his copper hair falling over his forehead blew back with the breeze to release the full strength of his smiling eyes on me. Every time he had shown me kindness, his eyes had conveyed something to me. Whatever it was, it caused my heart to swell. This time was no exception.

As I reached out to place my hand in Edward's long, elegant fingers, I felt connected to him in a way that I hadn't felt before. Suddenly, I could see the vulnerability masked in his perfect features. Edward was inviting me into his home and into his true existence and, by doing so, giving me an insight into his true self. Whilst I was aware of the main family secret, I knew that walking over the threshold was a symbol of my invitation to formally be a part of it and to be trusted.

_A trust that you probably don't deserve... He's letting you in. You should reciprocate. _

Edward's hand sturdily raised me from my seat, putting a stop to my musings, but not the contrite expression distorting my usually more cheerful face, even if I did feel weightless. As my feet met the ground, my right ankle – still not at its full strength - slightly buckled and I automatically found my right hand resting against Edward's taut chest in an attempt to steady myself.

_Whoa…steady yourself. _

"Are you okay? The ankle's okay?" Edward said with concern as he righted me. I blew out a breath, before hesitantly meeting Edward's gaze.

"Yeah, I'm fine and the ankle's all good. You just made me forget that I needed to use my ankle for a moment there," I ended in a light-hearted fashion. I smiled at Edward, trying to ease the scarcely visible lines of worry on his face. He stared at me questioningly, for a moment, and, when I'd had enough of it, I retracted my hand that had found a home on Edward's chest, rolled my eyes and started to pace before him.

"See? I'm all good. Nothing to worry about at all," I said cheerfully, coming to a standstill and placing a hand on my hip. "Happy?"

"He should be happy," a deep, boisterous voice interjected. "Now he can say you've fallen for him."

I ducked my head, having instantly felt my face flush at recognising the implication of Emmett's words. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. Pondering how to respond to such a statement, I began twirling a short, loose tendril of hair near my ear around my index finger.

_Have you fallen for him? _

_Yeah… Yeah, you have and you know it, but do you admit it? Is it right to admit it? I mean, you'll be gone soon and where does that leave him, assuming he feels even something remotely similar to what you do? It will be hard on you when you have to leave, but should you make it hard on him? That wouldn't be right, but would it be even more wrong to tell more lies and to leave him in the dark?_

A deep, low growl reverberated around me, drawing me out of my thoughts and giving me courage enough to put aside my bashfulness and look at the scene before me. Alice and Jasper had now moved from their station near the door to stand beside me, whilst Edward, whose mouth seemed to be moving at a mile a minute, glared at Emmett and ran a hand through his hair. I couldn't discern any words, though. Emmett merely stood smirking at his brother, obviously happy at achieving what he had set out to do. I gazed at Jasper when it became apparent that Edward's demeanour was somewhat calming. I didn't feel any shift in my emotional state whatsoever. My shoulders were tense, my heart was still fluttering like crazy and my cheeks were still warm, but whatever Jasper was doing was becoming rather obvious through the more relaxed expression now visible on Edward's face and Alice's, even if she was offering me a knowing smile. Jasper's influence seemed to not go unnoticed by Edward either who had raised an eyebrow at the empath, before directing his eyes at me. His eyes seemed to be searching for answers, but all I could do was furrow my brow in confusion. The artificial calm that had settled amongst our group didn't last long.

"Come on, Edward, you can't question my methods. I am the master at choosing the right words at the right time, after all." Emmett's twinkling eyes immediately found mine.

I groaned and rolled my eyes, before shaking my head and looking towards Edward. He merely raised his eyebrows as if to say "I told you".

"It's obvious, though, that you're a novice when it comes to understanding sarcasm, Emmett," I jibed.

His usually jovial expression had now turned into one of disappointment. With a sigh, he said in a sombre tone, "I guess I'm going to have to return my Bachelor of Sarcasm then."

My frame shook with giggles and I could feel my cheeks move up, forming my lips into a smile.

"Stop, Audrey. You'll only encourage him," a sweet, lyrical voice uttered, from beside me, in a slightly bored tone. I looked at its source and soon found myself engulfed in a hug. "Welcome to our home, Audrey."

When finally released from my pixie friend's embrace, I looked into her face, faultlessly framed with her short, flicked, ebony hair.

"Thanks, Alice," I beamed. Looking up, I noticed Jasper's eyes trained on my every move. I suddenly felt slightly awkward, even though his face bore the smallest of smiles. The way Jasper looked at me always made me wonder how he really saw me. Did he see me as someone who made his wife happy, or more as a threat to his self-control and his family's way of life? I was almost certain that he didn't see me as simply Audrey. There were often times where I tried to think of how he would respond to me if Alice hadn't befriended me instantly. As I met his honey coloured eyes, I knew that I had to try and let Jasper get to know me. I needed to initiate an affable relationship.

"Nice to see you, Jasper," I said warmly and casually. Jasper's grin widened and his scrutinising eyes seemed to relax slightly after my acknowledgement. With a nod of his head, Jasper spoke in the smoothest of tones.

"You too, Audrey. You're feeling well, I hope?"

I smiled as I considered how weird it would be for Jasper to not have me on his radar, so to speak. Understanding how he would want to have some sort of way to gage my emotions, I readily replied, "Yes, yes. I'm well." Pausing a little with coyness, I inclined my head to the side. "Thanks for asking."

Alice smiled up at her husband, obviously pleased with our exchange.

"No." Edward's firm and direct tone caused me to widen my vision and glance in his and Emmett's direction. Edward's face was rigid and it was very obvious that he was unimpressed with whatever had transpired in Emmett's thoughts. I looked at the pair, questioningly, which didn't escape Emmett's attention.

"He's so serious, isn't he?" He stated playfully, rather than questioning, whilst looking in my direction. "Enjoy the tour. Unfortunately, I can't be your guide, today, but I will leave you in the hands of my trainees." I didn't have to see the eye rolls to know that they were happening. "Don't do anything funny while I'm gone, Dree."

_Dree? Ahh… Rosalie has had a chat with him. He's probably going to spend time with her now._

Before I had a chance to respond, the blur, which I knew had to be Emmett, disappeared around the side of the house. I stood in my place, shaking my head in disbelief, but I had to admit that a surge of comfort now bubbled within me. What Jasper had been unable to do with his gift, when it came to me, Emmett was able to do.

As a cold breeze blew across my face, it brought with it the scent of pine and the one that I associated with Edward. I shivered. I looked over my shoulder to see him moving gracefully closer to me, but he eyed me with a hint of what I could only guess was nervousness.

"I'm sure Emmett makes life interesting," I said light-heartedly in an attempt to look at ease. Unexpectedly, harmonious laughter filled the air. My face must have reflected my surprise, because Alice soon began to offer an explanation to their amusement.

"Yes," She giggled. "But not as interesting as you've made it for us." She winked. "Is that my CD Edward?"

I followed Alice's line of sight and saw the dreaded CD clasped in Edward's right hand. When I looked back up, Edward's face was teasing. He grinned crookedly at me before handing the CD to Alice who seemed to be watching us with curiosity.

"I don't know when you put it in my car, but thank you, Alice. It did come in handy." Ever so slowly, Edward moved his gaze from Alice to me.

Alice's eyes flickered back and forth from Edward to me, calculatingly. It was making me slightly uneasy.

"You're welcome," she eventually chimed. "I didn't know why you needed it, but I kept seeing you search for it all through Thursday so I knew it must have been important for something…"

Before Alice could say anymore, Jasper placed his hand on the small of her back and looked at me knowingly.

"Perhaps we should show Audrey inside?"

_Had he sensed my embarrassment? _

"Oh, of course!" Alice replied bubbly. "Esme will be waiting!" With that, she turned and began to prance towards the porch.

I watched Jasper intently as he escorted Alice inside, pondering his reason for providing me with a reprieve, but was soon distracted by a soft touch on my back. My heart leapt in my chest. I looked over my shoulder and was greeted with a smiling Edward who gently ushered me forward. As we walked, I felt his breath against my ear and an involuntary tingle ran up my spine.

"I apologise for what happened with Emmett earlier," Edward whispered. My breath quickened and my pace slowed as tingles travelled down my limbs.

"Ah… there's no need to apologise, Edward," I murmured, looking up at him from beneath my lashes and brushing a loose piece of hair behind my ear. "It was nothing and, anyway, I can hold my own with Emmett," I grinned, raising my chin in mock proudness.

Edward shook his head smoothly as he appraised me.

"I'll never understand how you fail to be intimidated by us. A normal person would be." It was as though Edward's voice wanted to hold me, but drive me away at the same time. I furrowed my brow and looked straight into his ebony pupils. Slowly and carefully, I found myself reaching up to run my hand against his stone cheek. Edward's pupils widened as my fingers ghosted over his smooth skin. I became aware of my every breath and heartbeat. Swallowing, I found my voice.

"I think, by now, you know I'm not normal," I smiled and, reluctantly, dropped my hand back down to my side. Edward's eyes remained locked on mine and I felt as though I needed to avert my eyes, for the intensity was too great.

"Yes. Far from normal…"

With what appeared to be a fleeting look of admiration, Edward reached for my hand to help me up the few stairs leading to the timber porch.

"We're coming," he said in a frustrated voice, seemingly to the air, but I knew he was answering the errant impatient thought of someone inside. Sighing, he looked down and smiled softly at me and I knew that the carefree expression on his porcelain face had the ability to be figuratively shattered at my hands.

_You can't let that happen, Dree. _

His thumb ran soothing circles against my hand as he opened the door for me and escorted me across the threshold.

Even though I had taken a step inside, I didn't feel closed in. It was almost as if I was still outside. My boot heels announced my footfalls against the timber flooring, creating a sound that echoed in the suddenly still air.

_Good acoustics…_

Coming to a halt, I examined what was before me. I felt my jaw drop in awe. Varying shades of white and beige filled the wide, open space before me, accented beautifully by timber tones. Bella was right when she said the downstairs was mainly one big room that had probably been made from other earlier smaller ones. My position by the door afforded me the best vantage point, possibly only rivalled by the area diagonally to my right, where a large curving staircase with smooth timber banisters seemed to overlook a very large rumpus or living room. The striking stairs almost called you to move to the second floor. Diagonally to my left, a number of off-white couches were arranged before a large wall of glass, which allowed the perfect backdrop of tranquil river and forest to be displayed, like the work of art that it was. When presented with something so wonderful, I wondered how people could not believe in something greater than themselves – something greater than all of us.

It was hard to tear my eyes away from the window, but I did so in order to seek out the instrument that had caused my heart to flutter many a time when I had imagined it in my readings of Twilight. I found it directly to my left, displayed proudly on a platform and, beside it stood Carlisle with his arm around Esme. As our eyes met, they smiled and moved towards me and away from the magnificent, black grand piano that stood out like a crotchet against the blank manuscript of the surrounding beige walls.

Feeling my coat being slipped of my shoulders, I lowered my arms and, looking over my shoulder, offered Edward a gesture of appreciation by way of a smile. Although I was in an entirely new place, I felt at home. I felt accepted. I was made to feel even more at home when Carlisle extended his hand.

"You're very welcome, Audrey." I returned his gesture and shook his hand. He appeared to raise an eyebrow at Edward, before continuing to address me in a more serious manner. "No crutches, I see. Your ankle is not causing you any problems, then?"

"No, it's healing quite well. I had a very good physician who assured that it was strapped perfectly, a lovely home nurse" – I looked in Esme's direction – "and a very attentive… carrier," I grinned, trying to steer the conversation away from my injury. I felt Edward shift beside me as I finished. Carlisle appeared to duck his head slightly at my compliment, but had no trouble glancing at a beaming Esme, before smiling in thanks. A few seconds later, I found myself being drawn gracefully into a hug.

"It's lovely to see you again, Audrey," Esme said against my shoulder and I could feel the immense care and love emanating from her spirit. I couldn't help but be reminded of similar embraces I'd had with my Mum and tears nearly came to my eyes as an intense feeling of loss was brought forward.

Stepping out of the hug, I took a deep breath to try and control my emotions before replying, "You too, Esme. You have a _beautiful_ home. It's stunning," I said, breathily, as I glanced around the open space, my eyes falling, once again, on the shiny, ebony piano.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Esme give Edward a telling glance as the soothing tones of her voice filled the room.

"The piano is lovely, but even lovelier is the sound it makes when played." She must have noticed my fixation.

I turned to look pleadingly at Edward, whose amber eyes were already focused on me, trying to express my great wish to hear him play. He simply remained standing, all too innocently.

"He _does_ owe me a recital," I mentioned to Esme and Carlisle, when it was obvious that Edward was being a tease. Carlisle chuckled softly.

"Well, play for her, then," Esme urged, pushing Edward past me and in the direction of the piano. My eyes brightened at the sight. It was such a familial action, very much like that of a proud mother and Edward seemed to act just like an apprehensive son. Edward softly reached for my hand and easily pulled me along with him to sit on the piano bench. Excitedly, I shuffled over to the very left side, thinking that he would be less likely to play in the very low octaves. I marvelled at the shiny ivory keys and the golden brand name letters that stood out against the black finish.

When Edward's side brushed mine, a current of energy dispersed across my skin and my breath came out shakily. I immediately turned to my right to greet him. Edward brushed loose strands of his bronze hair away from his forehead, before turning to give me what I knew to be a faux, long, exasperated look. His eyes deep down, instead, held a slight nervousness, but seemed to brighten at the thought of playing, as he looked down and positioned his pale, elegant hands against the keys of almost the same colour. With a fleeting smile, Edward allowed his fingers to perform a complicated dance across the keys, producing the type of melody that makes your hair stand on end, because of the beautiful feelings the rich harmonies are able to stir within you. I gasped and the distant laughter that followed my reaction was soon drowned out as the music came to a crescendo. If I wasn't able to see Edward's hands playing, I would have thought that two pianos were being used to create the delicate, cascading sound echoing around the room.

I closed my eyes and just listened to the emotive melody produced by the perfect blend of notes. My mind took the music and turned it into images. I saw a girl standing amongst amber, crimson and ochre leaved trees in the middle of fall. Her eyes were closed as the wind whipped her brunette hair across her face and circled her with the fallen leaves. It was a beautiful image and, upon opening my eyes, I was met with more beauty.

Edward was staring at me intently, as he continued to play effortlessly. Our eyes connected and he smiled before winking.

"Does it live up to your expectations?" His voice questioned in tune with the melody.

My answering voice sounded extremely rough in comparison. "It surpasses them. I think I might be using this adjective a bit too much today, but it's beautiful." I hoped I was able to convey my sincerity. Words and expressions almost seemed pointless when such wonderful music was conveying a myriad of feelings so purely. Edward continued to stare at me for the longest time, as if pondering something significant. It made my chest feel heavy and, not knowing what to do, I tried to initiate conversation.

"You wrote this, didn't you?"

Edward blinked before providing a nod of confirmation.

"It's Esme's favourite," he said fondly.

"I can understand why," I added as Edward's fingers travelled up the keyboard to end the piece softly with a broken chord. There was a beat of silence and then Edward lowered his head and began producing a slower and more delicate melody. I couldn't take my eyes off his meditative expression. The piece, itself, was contemplative. There were timely pauses where harmonising notes were allowed to fade away together. The notes wove together comfortably and intricately and, as the music washed over me, I felt a sense of peace and care. It was as if the music was surrounding me and shielding me from all my worries. I could very easily imagine someone being lulled to sleep by such soothing tones. As the piece continued to build, my heart began to expand in my chest and my eyes welled with tears from the intensity of my emotions.

_It's for you, isn't it? This piece is for you._

A tear trailed down my cheek just as Edward's fingers trailed down the keyboard, in an arpeggio towards the end of the piece, growing softer and softer and slightly sad. He seemed to stop unexpectedly, leaving the final note of the chord unplayed. It was as if he didn't want the piece to end. There was recognition that it needed to, but he couldn't bear to play the final note.

_You don't want the piece to be completed either._

"Can I claim that as my favourite?" I asked, my voice cracking. Edward turned to me. His jaw was tight as he wiped the tear from my cheek with his thumb. His scent enveloped me and I was hit with it every time I breathed. His brow furrowed, curiously, but then he soon twitched his lips into a smile.

"Absolutely. I'd hoped you would." He took my hands in his. "You inspired it," he breathed looking deeply into my eyes. I swallowed.

"Thank you."

Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled more into the middle of the seat.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I said rather startled. I looked to my right, but Edward was no longer there. Chuckles soon emanated from my left and I turned to face Edward, glaring at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Your turn," he simply said gesturing towards the piano with his hands and giving me that crooked grin of his.

"No… this piano should not be played by a novice." I spoke with determination, whilst shaking my head. Edward leant in closer, capturing my eyes.

"Please, Audrey," his velvet voice asked with such power. It took all of my mental strength to try and stay firm in my resolve, however, even though I knew I was being dazzled, I couldn't help but relent.

As I sighed and hesitantly placed my hands on the smooth keys, Edward wrapped his arm around my back and brought me closer to his firm side.

_It was going to be hard playing before, but how are you supposed to play properly now?_

My stomach was tying itself in knots and my back was tingling from Edward's touch.

_Come on, Audrey, do this for him. It's the least you can do. _

I moved my right foot around trying to find the sustain pedal and then realised that I probably shouldn't be testing the ankle out that much just yet. I retracted my foot and peered up at Edward, who sensed my movement and tilted his head to meet my eyes.

"Um… can you press the pedal for me?" I muttered, nervously. He grinned, kindly and I soon felt his right leg brush against my left. I, somehow, managed to suppress a shiver. After settling myself, I timidly began playing To a Wild Rose by Edward Macdowell. By no means did I start well, but soon I found myself just feeling the music. All the time I played, I was highly aware of Edward, but, instead of being even more uneasy, I found myself becoming more relaxed, as I realised that Edward wasn't going to be judging my playing. As I drew the piece to a close, I sighed in relief and leaned into Edward's side.

"Happy now?" I grumbled playfully, staring straight ahead. I felt the vibrations of Edward's silent laughter, before he kissed the top of my head. I could hear my heart thudding loudly in my ears.

"I'm _happier_ now, yes." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Well, good, because I don't know any other pieces off by heart." I tried to nudge his side, playfully – "try" being the operative word. Edward scoffed and turned me around so that I was facing him.

"And you can't learn more, or sight read the music?" He challenged light-heartedly. I groaned.

"And what about on other instruments?"

I stopped moving and looked at Edward suspiciously.

_He knows something._

Edward, seeing my response, seemed to decide to keep probing.

"The cello, for instance?"

I couldn't hide my shock. My widened eyes were a tell-tale sign that Edward had struck a nerve.

"How on earth do you know that?" I said flabbergasted.

_You didn't mention that you played the cello to him._

Edward's face appeared to display his pleasure at discovering something about me without me having informed him. Up until now, that's essentially what I'd been doing to him. Keeping me waiting anxiously, he seemed to consider something, prior to responding.

"I didn't know it, but you just confirmed it." He ran a hand through his hair. "I heard it in much the same way I heard what I believed were your thoughts that day in the cafeteria and the other night."

_What on earth is going on here?_

I stared at nothing as I tried to process this new information.

"I don't understand it either, Audrey, but I'm not sorry that I found out that you can play the cello." Edward interjected. "I am curious, though, why didn't you tell me?"

I returned my eyes to him and all thoughts of my puzzlement moved to the back of my mind. There was an air of disappointment in his expression – one that I wanted to extinguish.

"Well, you never asked and I haven't played in ages. I've never been any good. I simply did it for fun and to play in musical groups," I explained, honestly, rubbing the back of my neck.

Edward appeared satisfied with my words, but there was a glint of playfulness behind his irises.

"Will you play for me?" He asked, standing up and my mind instantly jumped to conclusions. With widened eyes, I hurriedly voiced my concerns.

"Please don't tell me you have a cello hidden behind a curtain!"

He tossed his head back and laughed. "Come on" – he lifted me over the piano bench, much to my surprise, and carefully placed me on my feet – "I'll show you the rest of the house."

"Not funny, Edward," I grumbled, momentarily, until a smile could be supressed no longer. It grew even larger when he reached for my hand and led me, carefully, up the stairs.

The second floor had the same openness and brightness as the downstairs. Edward led me down a hallway panelled with honey coloured wood, just like the floorboards. Edward pointed out the different rooms as we went, but my eyes were intently focused on the antique cross displayed at the end of the hall. It was nothing like how I'd imagined it. I'd always pictured it as large and intricately carved. It wasn't overly large at all and just had rounded ends to distinguish it from a plain cross. However, it was its simplicity that made it special to me. I wondered what Carlisle's father was like, a man whose handiwork still survived centuries later in a vampire's house. Vampires - the monsters who he tried to drive away by brandishing the cross.

_It is quite ironic, really._

"Does this surprise you?" Edward chuckled from behind my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around my chest and spun around with a smirk.

"No," I admitted, sheepishly. Edward raised his eyebrows and then moved to stare at the dark wooded cross.

"Do you believe in God, Audrey?" He asked, inquisitively. I didn't hesitate to answer in the affirmative and tried to provide some relief to the thoughts that I believed were plaguing Edward's mind.

"Yes, I believe in a forgiving God."

Edward snapped his head around and stared at me bewilderedly, giving me some indication that I had guessed his thoughts correctly.

"That's an interesting choice of words, Audrey," he said faintly. I stepped closer to him and rested my hand on his arm.

"Words I think you needed to hear." Edward furrowed his brow and shook his head.

"Can you read minds, Audrey? It would explain a great deal." Even though Edward spoke in a jesting tone, it appeared to be a serious question. My chuckles provided him with his answer. The irony of Edward putting theories to me didn't escape my notice.

"I'll put a stop to that idea right now. I definitely can't read minds," I said, rather amused.

"Two mind readers might be too much to handle." Carlisle's voice floated down the hallway and I quickly noticed him stationed by his study door. "Might I show you something, Audrey?" he queried, politely. Taken aback by such a request, it took me a while to respond.

"Certainly, Carlisle."

Edward's hand on the small of my back encouraged me to walk back down the hallway and over the threshold of Carlisle's study. As I had expected, huge bookshelves covered most of the wall space and, though every inch of them was filled to the brim with multitudes of books, the room did not feel cluttered. Carlisle stood in front of a grand, deep green leather chair that was positioned behind a presidential mahogany desk. A number of large books lay open on it, but I couldn't make out their content. Across from the desk and against the wall to my left was a burgundy leather sofa. Carlisle appeared to mark something in one of the books, before making his way over to Edward and my position. I watched him intently, extremely curious to know what he wished me to see.

"There's just a picture that I'd like you to view," Carlisle explained pleasantly, using his hand to indicate a wall. It was the wall directly to the right of the door that he guided me towards. I turned around and made my way over, so I was positioned between Carlisle and Edward. The wall was covered with a mishmash of various frames, holding everything from paintings to certificates. As soon as I saw one painting, I knew it was the one Carlisle was so keen that I see.

In the clearly Renaissance painting, four god-like figures stood on a balcony overlooking the chaos below. Carlisle was extremely recognisable amongst the three members of the Volturi. His real-self glowed in much the same way as the artist had depicted him, although I doubted that Carlisle would simply stand and observe such turmoil. I knew enough about Aro, Marcus and Caius to realise that the painting was a true depiction of their mentality. They viewed themselves as above others and found it easy to judge those beneath them. In their minds they were the order above disorder. I looked upon their faces with disgust, which both Carlisle and Edward seemed to notice.

"You found it without me pointing it out, I see," Carlisle's gentle voice mused. "Your expression seems to suggest that you have strong views when it comes to the Volturi."

I turned away from the picture to face Edward and Carlisle, who were both eying me with great interest.

"Yes. I guess it's fair to say, I do." Images of a weakened Edward and Bella in the throne room and then the Cullens and their witnesses, before hooded figures, flittered across my mind and, as I looked at the Edward before me, words left my mouth of their own accord.

"Edward, promise me that no matter what happens, no matter how dire things seem, that you will not go to the Volturi." My tone held so much emotion that no one could doubt the significance of my request. As I looked at the shocked faces of Carlisle and Edward, I realised that I had probably made a huge blunder in my quest to keep the Cullens in the dark, but, for once, I wasn't worried by it. My concern for Edward's wellbeing far surpassed my fear of being found out. I walked away from Edward and Carlisle and stood next to a bookshelf. When I glanced back at them, I knew their eyes had trailed my movement.

"What do you know, Audrey?" Edward asked in a muted tone. I looked away from his penetrating gaze, biting my lip, confused as to how to respond. I glanced at the many spines lining the shelves. My heart skipped a beat and my breathing stopped when my eyes fell upon a deep navy blue spine. My wide eyes did a double take, but there was no doubt in my mind that the image imprinted on its spine was the same as the one on the spine of Mavis' book.

_What is this doing in Carlisle's study?_

With a shaking hand, I instantly reached out to touch the spine. With great hesitancy my index finger inched forward to touch the embossed image of Mavis' broach on the book's spine.

My hand froze, unable to move, and I registered a cold hand on my shoulder before I fell back into a dark abyss.

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**What are your thoughts?**

_**I value your feedback and I respond to every review. **_Reviewers get a preview of the next chapter.

To me, Audrey's lullaby is "..." by Yiruma from the album The Yellow Room.

Esme's favourite is "Wind" by Brian Crain or The Twilight Piano Series.

Links to both of these will be posted on my profile page.

I'd love to know what you think of them.

**Ok... Now to some questions!**

**_What on earth has happened to Audrey? What do you think will happen next chapter?_**

**_Did you like Emmett's part in this chapter?_**

**_Did the character's stay true to form?_**

**_Did I do the piano scene justice?_**

**_Have you had an interesting experience whilst visiting someone's house?_**

Best wishes,

Karry.


	27. You Choose

A/N: Forgive me readers for I have not updated. It has been over a month since my last addition. I really feel bad about keeping you waiting. Thanks for all the messages expressing your concern for my health and life in general. I'm still alive and kicking and so is this story. I've just simply had a crazy start to the university and work year. I promise you that I will get back into my regular posting pattern from now on. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2010

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Dad, you're awesome! Sorry for keeping you waiting.

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**Page Turner**

**27. You Choose**

I was uncomfortably numb.

It was as if I was no longer attached to my body. I couldn't feel the vibrations of my heart or the rise and fall of my chest as I inhaled and exhaled. I couldn't feel myself breathing. My eyes would not even open to allow me the small consolation of knowing that I wasn't a motionless body in a dark, never-ending void.

Then, just as suddenly as the weightlessness had begun, it ended and I was wrenched into a world of immense viscosity. My previously anaesthetized senses were now heightened and I began to feel every nerve pulse as it responded to each spark caused by particles oozing over my skin. The slate that felt like it was lining my lungs seemed to disappear as my body instinctually sort out that beautiful element essential for life. Gasping, I allowed my dry throat to be cooled by the influx of oxygen as it travelled to feed my starved lungs. As I registered the blood cursing through my veins, a dull light started to filter through my eyelids bringing a sense of hope and a willingness to persist in my attempt to see my surroundings. With a shuddering breath, I managed to open my eyes.

The world around me was a blur and it was as if I was seeing something after been awoken from a deep sleep. As my weary eyes blinked and found their focus, I became aware of the cold, smooth surface my palm seemed suctioned too. Slowly, I peeled my hand away and flexed my stiff fingers back and forth, revelling at the ability to move. Ironically, I froze as my surroundings became recognisable.

The all too familiar stale smell emanated from the rows of blue vinyl seats. The multiple windows along the white walls tarnished with graffiti, however, provided no glimpse of the outside world that I was accustomed to seeing. A thick mist seemed to swirl against the panes of glass, allowing the flickering fluorescents to be the primary light source. It was quite obvious that I was on a Sydney train. For a moment, my breathing hitched and my heart became heavy at the possibility of being back.

_Will I never see him again? Damn it! It can't end that way! _

However, as I became more aware of my senses, my logical thoughts began to eclipse my initial and instant conclusions and it became quite apparent that I was not back in my reality.

_In reality, what train doesn't make a sound and is entirely void of people? Plus, the air conditioning is working… it never works. Well, not when you want it to._

I shivered as the cold air permeated my winter clothing with force, causing the small hairs covering my skin to stand.

"Audrey."

The unforgettable dulcet tones voicing my name were enough to make goose-bumps erupt over my skin. As a shiver travelled the length of my spine, I jumped up out of my vinyl seat and turned to face the enigmatic, youthful persona with the cloud-like, grey hair and the piercing, blue eyes. Mavis stood in the middle of the carriage aisle, greeting me with what I'm sure was meant to be a comforting smile. I watched her perplexedly and I'm sure my expression conveyed to Mavis that my current whereabouts and her sudden arrival were leaving me anything but comforted.

"Mavis…" My tone of voice only affirmed my apprehension. Mavis responded to my breathy and quivering greeting by eliminating the gap between us, moving along the aisle with such unnatural grace and ease. My heart's tempo increased at Mavis' growing proximity, until a soft thrumming was all that I could hear.

"Calm down, dear," Mavis almost ordered, placing her hand on my shoulder. Her blue eyes met mine with alarming force. "There's no need to fear me. I know my visit must come as somewhat of a surprise…"

"Somewhat of a surprise?" I interrupted, sardonically, regaining my ability to speak and feeling the heat of my blood as it cursed through my veins. Suddenly, my apprehension had moulded into anger and frustration and I didn't like how I was feeling. Pushing away from Mavis' grasp, I slumped back down into the seat and rested my face in my hands. My head pounded as all the emotions that I had supressed in the past weeks seemed to seep out of the cracks in what used to be my well-crafted wall.

I was angry at Mavis for somehow sending me into a fictional story without giving me warning. I was angry at her for just shoving me in there and giving me no guidance whatsoever. She'd just left me to fend for myself. She'd just left me to work out what the hell had happened to me. She'd just separated me from my family without allowing me the small luxury of being able to say farewell.

But the fire that was my raging anger was being controlled and to an extent distinguished by the image of porcelain skin, wise golden eyes partially shielded by strands of bronze hair, and a face enlivened by a crooked grin. Mavis had led me to Edward, the Cullens and Charlie. She'd provided me with an amazing experience that had awakened a new side of me.

…_And in just over 200 pages time she would be taking it all away._

I breathed heavily as I felt the seat sink beside me. Removing my shielding hands, I turned to my right and stared directly into Mavis' eyes.

"Why did you send me here, strip me of all I know and love and then give me something else to love, only to take it away?" My voice cracked as I struggled to retain some composure. "Why are you punishing me?"

Through the watery glaze covering my eyes, I noticed that the blue of Mavis' irises seemed to turn a shade darker, just like the sky does when a cloud hides the illuminating sun. She looked upon me with such concern and I was startled when her smooth hand grasped my own, sending a calming tonic through my veins.

_Who is this woman?_

"Despite what you may think, Audrey, it has never been my intention to punish you," Mavis declared in a voice ringing with sincerity. "I know that I have placed you in a situation brimming with uncertainty, relentless questions, and physical, mental and emotional strain, but I did so with the belief that you, my dear, were up to the task and – now bear in mind that this might sound strange- I did so with your best interest at heart."

I was completely befuddled by Mavis' profession and instinctively raised a questioning eyebrow.

"My best interest?"

"Yes, Audrey, your best interest." The diamonds affixed to Mavis' glasses seemed to twinkle before she continued. "You'll come to understand this in time."

"Why can't I understand it now?" I said, exasperated. "I feel like I'm walking through a forest blindfolded. I can't see the obstacles or the markers and I don't know if I'm making the right turns."

Mavis simply smiled at my outburst of frustration.

"And how is anyone's life any different? Who knows for certain what is to happen in their day? Who knows if they will ever wake up? No one knows what they will come up against, nor do they rarely recognise things that are approaching. No person truly knows if they've made the right choices. Not even a spritely psychic." A small smile crept onto my face at the mention of Alice.

"Everyone has their choices to make, Audrey and you, I'm afraid, are no exception to this rule," Mavis continued, peering over her glasses.

I chuckled mirthlessly.

"Choices… Why does it feel like I don't have a choice in anything? Why does it feel like my life has already been mapped out for me?"

_Why can't I stop myself from blurting out questions?_

Mavis chuckled. Had I said that out loud?

"No, dear, but I have a pretty good understanding of what's going on in that head of yours." My eyes widened at Mavis' revelation.

_Crap…_

Swallowing, I found my voice.

"Then you'd know that I don't think I was ever allowed to make a choice when it came to leaving the world I knew behind." I withdrew my hand from Mavis'. "I go to bed one night and wake up in a strange world. Where was my choice in that?" I challenged.

Mavis grinned knowingly.

"You chose to take the book. You chose to be considerate to my property and kind when conversing with me. Though you may not have realised it at the time, you chose to allow me to see the good person that you really are."

I was certainly warmed by Mavis' words, but they did nothing to ease the feeling that, as I'd stood at a crossroad, someone had come and pushed me down a certain path and not allowed me to decide which way to go by myself.

I folded my arms across my chest and looked at Mavis quizzically.

"So, you're returning my kindness by being vague and separating me from what I love? You're being cruel to be kind?" I asked, incredulously.

Mavis' silky, grey hair bobbed as she moved her head to gaze up wistfully, seemingly contemplating how to answer my queries. At the same time, thoughts were racing around my mind at a mile a minute as I tried to piece together everything that Mavis' had reluctantly shared.

"Essentially, yes, dear. I don't expect you to understand things now. In fact, I don't want you to. Some things are better left unsaid. It's important for people to not think they have a predetermined destiny." Mavis' wise eyes bored deeply into my own. "They must be able to pave their own path…"

"Like I've been able to pave mine?" I scoffed.

"Yes, like you've been able to pave your own," Mavis retorted, firmly, after barely giving me chance to finish my interjection. I was slightly taken aback by her tone and suddenly appreciated the small amount of space separating us on the blue vinyl seat.

In a new breath, Mavis' soothing voice returned and the harshness that had filled her eyes seemed to dissipate.

"Audrey, you know that you've been able to write your own story." Mavis challenged me to refute her statement by raising her eyebrow. With the image of the constantly filling book brought to mind, there was no way that I was going to refute her statement. My reluctant smile of acquiescence was enough of a prompt for Mavis' to continue.

"You may have had knowledge of certain things that might come to pass, but you were able to choose a course of action. You never acted like a fatalist who thought they were predetermined to follow a certain course." Mavis paused before clearly annunciating and emphasising every syllable. "You have not played the role of Bella."

With her pointed glance directed at me, I saw the truth in Mavis' words. I hadn't played a role. Yes, I had entered a world with knowledge of its people and certain future events, but I had acted how Audrey Darling would act in such situations. Automatically, my head began to nod in a physical show of my agreement.

Mavis smiled and placed her hand on my thigh.

"You've handled yourself well, my dear. Things haven't been easy for you. I realise that you've been in the dark, but please believe me when I say that it's for the best."

With her Mavis' touch and consoling tone, I was hard pressed not to believe her and, strangely enough, I began to feel at ease once again. The emotional toil of the past weeks appeared to have been shed through my heated questioning and sarcasm. My head seemed to be resigned to the realisation that I would not begin to understand my circumstances this very minute or perhaps for a fair while after. A sense of acceptance for my current situation pervaded me and I gladly welcomed its return. I offered Mavis a small smile.

"I won't pretend to understand, but I… I _choose_ to believe you." I responded to Mavis' grin with one of my own. "I'll take any choices I can get."

Silence filled the carriage momentarily and I took the chance to peer out the windows behind Mavis' profile. The mist that shielded the outside world from view had lifted to reveal surroundings that had been my constant companion for many years on the train journey home. Bright colours in every aspect of nature, from the sky to the trees and plants and the buildings, greeted me like an old friend. However, the overriding feeling filling my being was one of panic.

_Am I back home? Will I never see Forks again?_

My breath coming out in sharp bursts, I quickly glanced behind me and out of the windows on the other side of the train. Soothing deep greens, towering trees and extremely dim light acted like a tranquiliser to the spasms of worry surging through my body and accumulating in my chest. I quickly turned my attention back to Mavis, who stared at me empathetically.

"Now is the time for choices, Audrey. Before your mind starts weaving multitudes of questions and jumping to conclusions, let me say this – You will be returning to Forks. Your pages aren't up. However, bear in mind that the choices you make there may affect your life back in Australia. You have to do what you think is right, dear, particularly when you have a huge decision to make."

Mavis' words seemed to echo around the carriage as my two worlds flew by in my peripheral vision. As I looked down into my lap, I caught sight of her broach – the image that had continually popped up, most recently in Carlisle's study with Edward…

As if a light had suddenly been turned on in my head, I moved my eyes up to Mavis' face.

"It's time to tell him, isn't it?" I murmured, with no need to clarify who I was talking about. Mavis smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"That is entirely your decision, but I wanted you to know that there is nothing holding you back now." Mavis moved to hold my hand. "He wants to know you, Audrey and so do the other Cullens. He sees things. They all do. Despite their supposed ignorance, they're getting closer to completing the puzzle." She stopped abruptly, almost as if she were revealing too much.

_How much do they already know? You've been keeping things from them, but what have they been keeping from you?_

After but a beat, Mavis seamlessly carried on, carefully avoiding what she knew was in my thoughts. "I know I warned you against sharing the truth with them, but I didn't expect you to connect with them so wonderfully and so quickly."

I scoffed, "Yeah, I've really connected with Rosalie."

"Despite how she acts, you have certainly made an impression on her," Mavis' calm voice added. She looked down in consideration, before continuing. "Audrey, I don't want my warning holding you back any longer. I want you to feel as though you're not being restricted to a certain path."

I stared intently into Mavis' eyes as my mind moved on to the prospect of what I had ahead.

"But I am being restricted, aren't I? I can tell from the look in your eyes. I'm destined to leave," I whispered, as cold spread across my shoulders. "I'm going to leave it all behind. I'm going to leave him behind." My throat suddenly became dry. "Will he even… will he even remember me? When I go, will things just revert back to the way they were meant to be?" I queried, quite distressed.

Mavis probed me like a psychiatrist. "And how were they meant to be?"

I swallowed before translating the image filling my mind into words.

"Edward and… Edward and Bella." Saying the words ignited an ache in my chest that seemed to pulverise any other emotion flouncing around my being. "That's how it's meant to be," I breathed.

My now bleary eyes did nothing to decrease the clarity of the image of Edward resting his head against Bella's chest and being warmed by her heart. With the release of a tear, the world around me came back into view and Mavis was at the forefront.

Her blue eyes seemed to pierce my soul.

"He won't forget you, dear." Her words offered a semblance of comfort, but caused pain at the same time.

_But you'll have to live apart. You'll be separated. Whether this is real or not – and it certainly feels real- you'll want to be with him. You won't be able to forget him. Is it better to sever ties now than risk the possibility of greater heartache later? _

"That's entirely your choice," Mavis' answer to my thoughts returned my attention to her and the two worlds that seemed to be zooming past at an increasing rate. "I will say this, though; don't be controlled by your fear." Mavis' tone was strong as she tightened her grip on my hand.

"Life is far too short to not live every day that has been gifted to you. Fill your 241 pages."

My body began to vibrate along with the seat as the train built up to a dangerously high speed.

"Don't be afraid to make every page count, Audrey," Mavis yelled above the sudden sound emanating from the train. My eyes were momentarily met with images of silhouettes filling the previously empty seats, before a large thrust flung me in the direction of Mavis, causing a piercing pain to shoot up my arm and shroud me in darkness.

It felt as if my body had been forced through a hole that was much too small. Even with my eyes closed, the world around me seemed to be spinning at an incomprehensible pace. I felt separated from everything that I'd ever known until the sweet, inseparable tones of something familiar seemed to crescendo in my ears. With all my might I tried to focus in and cross the void that was keeping me isolated. I needed to bridge the boundary and, as the thought entered my head, the sound I had heard seemed to reach my ears in the varying of intonation reminiscent of speech.

"You went to Jenks?" The familiar voice uttered in an annoyed tone, which seemed like an entire waste of such a fine instrument.

No response came and the silence seemed to thunder in my ears, making me question if I was really confined to a crevasse between worlds.

"Jasper…" The velvet voice began, offering me hope, only to stop abruptly.

"Her breathing has changed," a voice chimed and a dim light started filtering through my eyelids. The new light seemed to bring with it all my thoughts and memories and instantly, I registered the increasing pounding of my heart and the tingles of electricity that ran to each nerve ending.

"Audrey?"

My reaction to hearing and recognising Edward's voice was instant. My eyes fluttered open and were met with amber. My breathing hitched and a spasm travelled up my throat causing me to cough. As I automatically moved to sit up, I registered Edward's smooth hand holding my own and gently helping to ease me forward. I savoured the touch for the briefest of moments before I found myself looking down into my lap, as I continued to splutter.

"Carlisle," Edward called needlessly, his tone worried, only making me fight even harder to try and control my coughs. My willpower seemed to prevail and I managed to settle my breathing just as the smell of cedar and nutmeg filled my nose signalling Carlisle's close proximity. I let the scent calm me and found myself inhaling and exhaling in time with the movement of Edward's thumb as it traced circles against the back of my hand.

"Do you feel dizzy, Audrey?"

Realising that Carlisle had entered "doctor mode", I moved my gaze up slowly to meet his examining eyes. When the room didn't spin, I smiled weakly.

"No, Carlisle. I think I'm alright... I'm alright," I responded softly, turning towards Edward, whose concern seemed to be etched on his face and conveyed greatly in his glistening eyes. A lump formed in my throat as I began to remember my conversation with Mavis and the idea of never being able to lay eyes on Edward again after my pages were complete. I fought back the tears threatening to escape my eyes and, smiling, tried to squeeze his hand. It was like squeezing a rock.

"Her pupils are fine, Carlisle," Edward responded in a regimented fashion to what must have been Carlisle's thoughts, never taking his eyes away from mine. They stood out like a beacon against the dimming natural light, struggling to make it through the heavily foliaged tree branches and the wall of glass.

_Gosh, it must be late! Better yet, Carlisle's study didn't have a wall of glass, did it?_

My eyes shifted away from Edward and began moving around the room in search of answer to my errant thought. I appeared to be laid out on a black, leather sofa, at the base of which stood Alice, who was leant against Jasper. The scene directly before me made me feel like I was in a modern art gallery. Both Alice and Jasper stood immensely still – like statues – against a wall that seemed to house a plethora of CD cases, their eyes fixed on me.

_CDs must surely equal Edward's room. _

Eyes seemed to follow my every move, as if their owners expected a revelation of some kind, but were too afraid to question, and I found myself feeling slightly self-conscious. I ducked my head and looked down at my clothes. Garnering that nothing seemed out of the ordinary and taking a few calming breaths, I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and gradually looked up into Alice's face, which seemed to reflect the light being emitted from the lamp at the end of the sofa. The natural light was definitely fading.

"How long was I out?" I asked, directing my question at every occupant in the room, even looking over my shoulder to be greeted by Carlisle and a concerned looking Esme.

"Nearly four hours," Alice answered taking a few steps forward and perching herself on the end of the sofa. My eyes bulged.

_Four hours? _

"Crap," I blurted out under my breath, before it crossed my mind that the Cullens' would have heard it perfectly. "Sorry," I hastily responded, looking at all occupants of the room rather ashamedly and allowing my eyes to linger on Esme's face, hoping that she'd recognise my sincerity.

"That's alright, Audrey," Esme smiled warmly and I welcomed the small sense of relief. "I can understand your feelings. You had us all quite worried," she said glancing towards my side, where Edward still remained holding my hand. I turned to face him and it was easy to see the questions and uncertainties swirling behind his eyes. I knew I had to try and answer them.

…_But not here - not now._

My growling stomach interrupted my thoughts and my mind instantly turned to food…

_Food! Crap! You've got to get home to Charlie!_

"Sandwich time," Alice sang, leaping off the sofa and heading towards the door, but I quickly moved to stop her.

"Thanks, Alice, but I must be getting home to Charlie," I insisted, firmly. Alice's stance shifted and her face seemed to bear her unhappy resignation, even though it still wore a small smile. Immediately, guilt fizzled through me, but my undeniable need to escape and just think for a mere moment was enough for me to continue my request to head home.

"Thank you for your hospitality and… care," I said, shuffling down the sofa, releasing my hand from Edward's and moving to sit on the edge. An awkward silence filled the room and I felt everyone's eyes on me. I lifted my head and noticed Jasper's eyes lock with Edward's in a pointed glance.

_What is he thinking? What does Jasper know?_

"You're most welcome, Audrey," Esme spoke interrupting my thoughts, but her response did nothing to ease the tension in the room. I glanced at Edward, whose eyes stared unblinkingly at me. It was as if a new part of my being had just become visible to him and I felt extremely vulnerable.

"Do take care of yourself."

Carlisle's authoritative voice drew me away from staring at Edward. I acknowledged his words with a small smile and a nod. In the blink of an eye, the room seemed to empty and I found myself confronted with the aftermath of my interactions with Mavis in the glance of the person I knew I'd lose someday. His warm eyes stared at me for what felt like an age, with the swaying of the trees in the breeze and the changing murmurings of the river being my only signals of time passing. I couldn't place the look filling his eyes and my shoulders started to tense.

"I'll take you home," he eventually stated half-heartedly, almost as if he couldn't bear the idea. Reaching for my hand, Edward assisted me up and the indescribable pulses of energy were soon travelling up my arm, but, unlike the other times, this time I could truly feel the energy coming to rest in my chest. My heart fluttered.

"Thank you," I breathed, glancing up at him from beneath my lashes. Edward merely nodded and began leading me towards the door. He stopped suddenly as we reached the threshold and reached down into a pile of rather old, but beautifully kept leather bound books – the kind that smell like history. He paused momentarily, as if wary, before offering me a deep blue book that was extremely familiar. Tentatively, I accepted the book that had caught my attention in Carlisle's library – the one which now bore no acknowledgment of Mavis' symbol and felt extremely heavy in my hands despite its small size. Much to my shock, it just appeared to be a normal book – one found in any library around the world. That all changed when I read the title.

_The Time Machine by H.G. Wells? Very funny, Mavis. Hilarious, actually. _

"You seemed interested in this book," Edward stated, watching me expectantly. I looked down and turned the book around in my hands surreptitiously, trying to find any evidence of Mavis' tampering, but my weak human eyes found none.

"Carlisle says that you're more than welcome to borrow it."

_Do you want to? Perhaps there's something there that you're missing, besides the inside joke._

I rubbed my thumb against the smooth cover and pondered my options. In my mind there was only one clear answer.

"I think I might just take him up on that offer," I smiled up at Edward, before continuing to move into the hall and down the stairs, not knowing what else to say and trying to buy myself some time to come to terms with the events of the day. I could feel Edward's presence behind me with each step I took, which instantly made me think of what it would be like when Edward was merely a person – or memory – from my past. My chest ached and, as we entered the large ground floor area of the Cullen mansion and moved outside into the crisp evening air, I felt extremely small. I was so consumed in my thoughts that I didn't even remember getting into the car and was only awakened to my whereabouts when Edward started the ignition.

I exhaled out a shuddering breath as we left the Cullen house behind, knowing that I had no idea how to handle the situation that confronted me and if I couldn't handle it, how was I supposed to explain it?

"You have a scar on your head." Edward stated rather than questioned. My eyes instantly darted to meet his face. He continued looking out the windscreen.

"Yeah… I do," I confirmed with unease.

_Where's he going with this?_

"How did you get it?" Edward still spoke at the windscreen, his tone soft and inquisitive. I couldn't see the harm in answering with the truth and truth be told I was rather fond of my scar, because it was a physical reminder that I was still my twenty year old self. I reached up to my head and felt the thin mound of skin beneath my hair.

"I got it playing soccer. The… ah… goal post was a better defender than I was. I headed the ball. It hit the post and so did I," I giggled for the first time this evening, reliving the memory. "It wasn't funny at the time, but I apparently said some weird things on my way to the hospital." I shook my head, smiling.

Edward's eyes suddenly moved away from the road and onto me.

"That's interesting, because there's nothing about that injury in the hospital records Carlisle perused."

_Shit._

I quickly turned and looked out the window, trying to find any means of escaping Edward's scrutinising eyes. Silence wrapped itself around the inside of the car like a blanket.

_Why are you avoiding it? Just tell him. Be honest with him. _

"What happened today, Audrey?" Edward broke the silence as we got deeper into the forest drive. I remained still and distant as I contemplated how to respond. The mass of trees becoming blurs as we moved swiftly passed them was a reflection of my mind.

"Audrey, please talk to me," Edward's velvet voice implored. "I need to know why I was forced to watch you lay there unmoving for four hours as if you were instantly drawn into an induced coma."

Edward's ardent tone caused my head to turn so that I could meet his eyes, but my lips couldn't form any words. Edward's eyes connected with mine with such ferocity.

"Just watching you was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. It made me feel so feeble for the first time in this existence. I couldn't assist you then, but, if you'll let me, I can now." He reached out and grasped my hand, as strands of his bronze hair drifted across his forehead.

_He cares about you. It's dangerous that he cares…_

My heart pounded in my chest as his dazzling eyes shifted between me and the road ahead.

"Help me to understand you. Help me to understand what's going on," his smooth voice echoed around the confines of the car. "I don't want to guess. I want you to trust me enough to tell me."

_Should you allow him to understand? If he cares about you like you do him, isn't it better to have a clean break now, no matter how hard it will be for you? Idiot! Now you're considering doing to him what he did to Bella in New Moon?_

Edward stopped the car at the end of the long, winding forest drive. Completely overwhelmed by my emotions and thoughts, my eyes put up their watery shields. Edward's brief stare was my undoing and I ducked my head as a tear traced its path down my cheek, eventually falling and darkening the cover of the book resting in my lap.

_The Time Machine…_

Unlike the Time Traveller, I had no control over time. Time was not on my side. I was destined to leave.

_But remember you still have a choice._

I recognised Mavis' influence in my thoughts. The T-intersection in front of me seemed symbolic of the task I had before me. I had to decide which direction to take.

It wasn't an easy decision to make, but, as I stared out the windscreen, I knew the road I had to take at the moment and it wasn't the 101 Highway.

With a shuddering breath, I turned to meet Edward's awaiting eyes.

"You _do_ deserve to understand," I whispered, my chest tight. "You need to know that I care about you a great deal," my voice cracked and I paused before I was able to continue. "But you also need to know that this isn't going to work."

Edward's eyes widened.

"You say today was hard, well today was simply a foretaste of what's to come."

I leant in and rubbed my thumb against Edward's marble skin.

"I'm not good for you, Edward. You need to stop spending time with me."

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**I'm back and I'd love to know your thoughts. Please don't hate me.  
**

_**I value your feedback and I respond to every review. **_Reviewers get a preview of the next chapter.

What did you think of Mavis' choice of words?

Were you surprised to see Audrey's response to Mavis?

Do you ever feel like you don't have a choice?

Jenks?

What does Jasper know and has Edward worked something out?

Do you hate Audrey, right now, for being selfless?

_Best wishes and many apologies for the wait. I hope it was worth it.** If you want to know what's going on with me follow me on twitter at karry4harry.**  
_

_Karry._


	28. Life's a Beach

A/N: Hey, better than last time, right? What a very busy life I am living at the moment, but it's also a very lucky one, too. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I want to thank you all for sticking with this story. I really appreciate your support.

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2011**

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Dad, you're awesome! Sorry for keeping you waiting.

* * *

**Page Turner**

**28. Life's a Beach**

I hugged my legs to my chest and stared out at the vast expanse of water before me. It was hard to believe that the same water was part of the Pacific Ocean that lapped energetically and invitingly against the bright, golden sandy shores of my home country. The water, tentatively trying to creep up onto the already damp sand near my feet, was dull and seemed to hold so many unknowns in its murky depths. A soft mist helped further veil the already foreign landscape. Tall trees, from the surrounding forest, poked their heads out above the light clouds and seemed to watch me like guardians.

The surrounding landscape reflected my feelings and the state that my mind was in. Nothing seemed clear. There were thoughts, motions and feelings that stood out amongst the considerations shrouded in uncertainty, trying to point me in the right direction and protect me from my own decisions. Just as the water ebbed and flowed, so did the answering thoughts to my endless array of questions.

Sitting on an old fallen log and breathing in the blend of pine and salty air that I could only associate now, and forever more, with La Push Beach, I knew that I needed to decide what steps to take – clear steps, imprints in the sand that would not get washed away with the incoming tide.

I shivered as the onshore wind hit my cheeks and caused my loose hair to fly about my face and hamper my vision.

_What does it matter if you can't see? You haven't been seeing things clearly lately, anyway._

Sighing, I brushed the hair out of my eyes and used the hair tie from my wrist to tie my hair back. I didn't need anything annoying me. I'd come here to escape and to think things through. A week ago, I'd acted with my head, pushing aside the tremors in my heart. Now my heart and the memory of an annoyingly insightful psychic's words kept pummelling my head, trying to get it to concede.

_Alice…_

I shook my head and gazed up at the overcast sky as a small drop of rain touched the tip of my nose.

I was an idiot to think that Alice would have just accepted my decision. If Edward couldn't accept my decision to not interact with his family, then why would she?

Pulling the hood up on my coat, I moved to rest my heavy head against my legs and I felt like my arms, wrapped around my legs, were truly holding me together.

_Audrey, what were you thinking?_

-()-()-()-

"I'm not good for you, Edward. You need to stop spending time with me."

Edward withdrew his hands from mine and stared at me briefly as if trying to ascertain my sincerity. Before I realised it, I was pushed back against my seat from the force of the car turning onto the 101 Highway and heading towards town. Edward's eyes were fixed on the road and his jaw was taut. The image caused a lump to form in my throat. Suddenly, Edward's determined eyes shifted to mine.

"I think I can decide what I need, Audrey." His tone was resolute, as his eyes returned to the road supposedly signifying an end to the discussion. I swallowed and quickly responded, fuelled by my own determination.

"Then I won't make this your decision. I'll make it mine." I felt my throat go dry. "I'm going to stop spending time with you and your family."

Silence filled the car and the tension was palpable. I watched Edward as he drove through the outskirts of town and then sped onto my street. His brow furrowed.

"You're being utterly absurd," he said with chagrin, peering at me from the corner of his eye.

"No, I'm not," I muttered after a time and even I knew, deep down, that my words were hollow.

He shook his head as he pulled into the driveway behind Charlie's cruiser. I mentally sighed upon realising I had a means of escape. I was just about to begin exiting the car, when Edward reached out and lightly grasped my forearm.

"And you won't provide me with any justification why you are making this decision on everyone's behalf?" he prosecuted. "Don't say that you're trying to protect me, because I don't need protecting, Audrey. If anything, I should be the one telling you to stay away from me." Edward's tone was firm and contained and I almost wished that he had yelled in frustration and given me license to vent my own. Instead, my lips quivered with indecision and words that had not been carefully considered were soon being blurted out, forcefully.

"And I've finally taken heed of your warnings."

The gold of Edward's eyes seemed to deepen a shade, while his whole body remained as still as a statue. I could feel the water pooling in my eyes as Edward's attention remained fixed on me, but I fought to maintain control. My heart was crying for me to stop and give up on this course of action, but my mind would not yield and tried to tell me to detach myself from my emotions. Edward rested his hand on the steering wheel.

"A small part of me may want to believe you, but I don't," he stated, holding my gaze.

"And why does that small part of you want to believe me, Edward? It's because you want to keep me safe, even if it means not spending time with me apart from school. You don't want to see me get hurt," I hurried out, urging him to grasp my point. "Try and put yourself in my shoes. I don't want to see you get hurt. I want to protect you and if that means removing myself from your company then…"

"Then you will still be hurting me," Edward interjected. My heart skipped a beat. Edward leant in and moved to hold my hands. His eyes implored me to listen. "Audrey, whatever happened back at the house – whatever you saw – we can work through it together, if you trust me."

I closed my eyes and mulled over Edward's words. It wasn't a matter of not trusting him. It was about doing what I purely thought was best for all involved. How was it fair to grow closer to him and his family if we were to be forever separated when I returned to the life I knew?

I didn't have the ability to say what I knew I had to, while looking into Edward's persuading eyes, so I looked at our joined hands. The sight of his unnatural pallor against my pink, light olive skin only seemed to emphasise the things separating us.

"Better to hurt you now than later," I choked out, my throat dry. "Thank you for driving me home."

I looked up, encouraging him to release my hands, but I continued to feel his smooth skin against mine.

"Don't leave, Audrey," Edward almost pleaded, in a voice as mellow as the tones of an oboe. A spasm of pain shot across my chest.

"I have to."

-()-()-()-

That night, I'd closed my bedroom window, but that still hadn't stopped me gazing out into the dark, wondering if I was being watched.

_Maybe you wanted him to be out there?_

My stomach began to churn. I lifted my head and stared out at the choppy sea, welcoming the cool, refreshing breeze against my face.

I hadn't felt well since I'd exited the Volvo that Saturday evening.

I'd put on a brave face for Charlie, but I was pretty sure he knew I wasn't all right. He'd become rather attentive of me this past week and I was reminded of how he'd acted when I'd first arrived.

On Sunday, he woke me up to a nice, warming cup of tea and made no mention of the salty trails left on my face from my tears. He'd spent the morning reading the paper at the kitchen table while I absorbed myself in the monotony of homework. I was grateful for his company. Charlie didn't know it, but I also viewed his presence as a deterrent to any Cullen visits and it was. When it had come time for lunch, and we'd both realised that there was hardly anything left in the fridge, Charlie allowed me to test out my ankle and drive us to the shops in the Beetle. We'd laughed as we'd argued over which items to get and, for a brief moment in time, my mind was void of any thoughts of my troubles. Sunday finished with me teaching Charlie Rummy and subsequently beating him four games out of seven to take the inaugural Swan Rummy Championship title. It was wonderful to interact with Charlie and it was only when we'd begun switching off the lights and preparing for the next day that I began thinking of what would happen with Charlie once I was gone. Would he remember me and our times together? Would Bella allow him to be a father to her? Would he feel appreciated and loved?

The same questions still plagued me.

The mist seemed to thicken, making it even harder to see the cliff that acted like a bookend to the beach.

Even though I couldn't always see him, I'd been entirely aware of Edward's presence at school. When I'd pulled into the school parking lot on Monday and every day for the rest of the week, I could feel his eyes following my every move and I knew that he was forcing himself to keep his distance. Alice, on the other hand, seemed to have made it her mission to raise an eyebrow at me any chance she had. If it weren't for Jasper's restraining hand and Edward's firm instructions, I'm sure she would have spoken with me much sooner than Friday afternoon.

School without time spent with the Cullens, had been, more than ever, a chore. I'd shown the smallest hint of excitement in English when Mr. Mason announced that next week we'd be finishing Wuthering Heights. Government was simply government. I believe "meh" best expresses how it was.

Mr. Varner had been his usual self in trigonometry and I'd robotically answered his supposed challenge questions. Looking back on it now, I think he even realised that I didn't have my regular spark. Jessica must have too, because she even asked me if I was okay when I'd mumbled instructions on how to answer a question. Of course I'd claimed that I was, even though I knew that I wasn't. I mean, when Jessica had asked why the answer to a trigonometry identity question was the answer, I'd simply explained it to her instead of responding, "Just _cos_."

PE had provided me with a means of venting some frustration. The class had finished volleyball in my absence and had now moved on to dodge ball. Poor Mike got a few hits from balls that I'd thrown. He'd left the court on a number of occasions massaging his arm at the point of impact. Luckily for him, the balls I'd thrown hadn't deflected off of his. They'd sent him my message loud and clear – stay away. I'd taken no joy in hitting him with the ball though - even if he'd started the week off by being more attentive than usual - nor did I take much joy in actually hitting Tom or Justin. Tom even remarked at one point, on Friday, with a grin, "Jeez, Darling, what did I ever do to you?" after a really well thrown ball hit his calf. I hadn't even laughed at that. I had only managed a small smirk. Despite my lack of response, Tom still decided to follow me to my car after class and ask me if I wanted to watch a movie over the weekend. Although he was friendly, I'd felt no remorse when I'd refused his invitation. I don't even know if I felt anything. It was at these moments that life had seemed robotic. And then there was Chemistry and Biology…

On Monday, I'd walked into Chemistry, not having the slightest idea of how Emmett would behave, or how I should behave towards him. I'd approached our lab bench tentatively when Emmett's eyes had quickly met mine. The expression on his face had been one of sincere disappointment. I'd ducked my head ashamedly as I'd sat down and hurriedly moved to prepare my book and utensils for the lesson ahead, with no idea of how to address the person who I had always viewed as a friend. He had known what to say to me, though.

"Listen, Audrey, something is going on with you, and I can respect that and keep my distance, but I don't want to lose our _chemistry_ in the lab."

Looking at Emmett's face and really absorbing his sincere words, it hadn't taken me long to respond, "Me either," and from that moment, Chemistry had felt like a small reprieve. It had been quite awkward at the conclusion of each lesson, however, when Emmett and I had parted ways. He had headed towards a glowering Rosalie, whilst I'd made my way to my Beetle where it was always my intention to consume my packed lunch, with music as my company, before trying to garner the strength to face Edward in Biology.

He sorted me out with his piercing gold stare the moment I'd entered the lab on Monday. Buoyed slightly by my interactions with Emmett, I'd offered a nod of acknowledgment in Edward's direction, but his expression remained firm as I took my seat beside him. As I'd begun extracting the items for the lesson from my bag, I'd dropped a pen. Before I'd had a chance to even blink, it was being held before me. Edward's eyes drew me in.

"Audrey, please meet me after school," his velvety voice had uttered.

His tone almost had forced me to relent, but, swallowing, I'd summoned the strength to reply softly, "No, Edward."

With a nod and a forlorn expression, he'd placed the pen on the desk and turned with resignation towards the front of the class. I can't even remember what we covered that lesson or the next. It had been too hard to concentrate when I'd been struggling to not move my hand across the desk and touch his smooth skin.

My heart still aches when I remember how Edward looked when I refused his request to meet on Tuesday and again on Wednesday afternoon. Every time I'd said no, I'd considered saying yes. On Thursday, Edward hadn't even bothered trying to initiate conversation during the lesson. My heart seemed to shrink at the idea of him finally accepting my decision, whilst my brain beamed with satisfaction. Unlike previous lessons, as I'd shakily packed up my things, Edward had remained standing by our bench, watching me earnestly.

"Why are you doing this, Audrey?" He'd asked, deeply. "Why are you making yourself unhappy?"

He'd taken me slightly off guard, so I'd struggled to answer immediately.

"Because you deserve better than what I can give you," I'd eventually replied, shakily, compelled by his stare.

_Do you still believe that?_

I covered my face with my hands, recalling the frustration that had been written in Edward's expression. His firmly spoken responding words had haunted my thoughts ever since.

"For someone with obvious intelligence, you're not seeing things clearly at all."

In hindsight, I can't believe that I retaliated the way I did. Then again, maybe I can.

"Damn it, Edward, if you want to call me stupid, call me stupid! I'm trying to do the best I can with what I've been given! I'm trying to make the best of an extremely difficult and confusing situation! I've been dealt a certain hand and whatever card I choose to play there will be damages. Hell, I'm trying to cut my losses – your losses…" Trailing off with a sigh, the weight of my situation seemed to hit me and I'd begun talking in a strained tone more to myself than Edward.

"Maybe I'm not seeing things clearly. Maybe everything I'm doing – everything I've done – has been wrong. I don't know…" Scrunching up my face and rubbing my eyes, I'd become aware of my need to escape the situation I'd been placed in. I'd tried to flee the room, but Edward's pleading voice and extended hand had held me in my place.

"Talk to me, Audrey. Don't isolate yourself." Edward's darkened eyes had made me meet my reflection and had forced me to confront myself. It had been too much to handle in that moment and I'd turned away and headed to my next class, leaving Edward behind.

Now, willingly admitting that I sat in isolation and feeling extremely small as I faced the ocean, I was ready to examine my actions. I had isolated myself in an attempt to avoid becoming attached to and dependent on others and them on me, knowing that those ties formed would be abruptly severed. Now, I could put a name to the cause of the ache in my chest and the heaviness in my limbs – loss. This entire week I'd been mourning what I had yet to lose. I now recognised that the pre-emptive feelings of loss and a lack of power had frightened me and so I'd done what I could to take control, trying to credit my actions with selflessness when, in part, I was being selfish.

Alice was right.

-()-()-()-

I dabbed at my tear filled eyes with a tissue, trying to make the stinging sensation go away. I moved away from the stove, where the freshly chopped onions were sautéing in some olive oil and my eyes instantly felt relief.

_Maybe you needed to shed those tears anyway._

Moving towards the bin, I wished that I could dispose of my problems just as easily as my used tissue. The week at school had been excruciatingly hard and the idea of being free of its confines for two days was certainly a welcome by Friday afternoon. Then again, I was still haunted by my decisions and their ramifications. No matter my setting, I would never be able to escape my thoughts.

_Will you ever be able to escape the Cullens either? _

I sighed in consternation whilst rubbing my still stinging eyes and moved towards the basket where I had placed the garlic. My journey towards the chopping board was unexpectedly interrupted by a firm knock on the door. I tensed instantly, knowing full well that Charlie wouldn't be home until later.

_Well, at least he said he'd be home later. You never know, maybe he finished his work sooner than planned… Who are you kidding, Audrey? Charlie wouldn't knock. You know who it could be._

I quickly glanced out of the kitchen window, trying to find a trace of any vehicle on the street, but my search was ended by an extremely familiar and forceful voice.

"Audrey Darling, if you don't let me in willingly, you know that I will find my own way in!"

_You knew that this would happen sooner or later._

I hung my head in defeat, turned the stove down and then walked towards the door, trying to mentally prepare myself for the conversation ahead. When I eventually summoned the courage to open the door, Alice had prepared to greet me with a raised eyebrow and an admonishing stance. Her arms were folded across her chest and even though I looked down on her, I felt as though I was in her shadow.

It was Alice who broke the ice.

"I know that you are trying to stay away from us, but I never thought that you'd go to such extreme lengths," she said, with a slight hint of amusement, glancing down at my left hand. I was puzzled by her comment until I realised that I was still holding the garlic. I couldn't prevent the small smile that crept up on me from twisting my lips. I held out the garlic and waved it in front of me. Alice, as I expected, remained unmoved.

"Not working, ha?" I sighed, dropping my arm back down in defeat, with Alice's simple shake of the head. "Well, shucks."

Alice began to move forward.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do," she said, as I moved aside giving her access to the hall. With a sigh of resignation, I closed the door and followed her dainty, but purposeful movements toward the kitchen.

_There's no real escape, Audrey._

I could feel the adrenalin cursing through my veins as I moved into the kitchen, past Alice, who had positioned herself against the kitchen bench furthest away from the stove, and to the chopping board. Placing the garlic down and awkwardly removing a few cloves, it didn't take me long to realise that it probably wasn't the best time to be using a knife. It wasn't long, though, before Alice's poignant voice cut through the tension.

"Please don't pretend that I'm not here, Audrey." I took a shuddering breath and grasped the counter as Alice continued. "I want my friend back."

My little remaining resolve broken, I turned around, with glassy eyes and really looked at Alice for the first time in a week.

"You never lost my friendship, Alice," I murmured.

Each responding word Alice spoke sent a pang of guilt to my chest.

"Actions speak louder than words, Audrey," she stated, emphatically, staying as still as a statue, before moving closer to me. "I don't know what happened last Saturday, but something has changed you. One minute you're having a wonderful time in our home, embracing our friendship. The next, you're adamant about leaving our lives and yet you say that I never lost your friendship." Alice looked down and shook her head, before once again meeting my welling eyes. "We should have had this conversation much sooner." Her tone plucked at my heart strings and I eventually surrendered to the intense emotions flooding my body. A tear cascaded down my cheek.

"I've only done what I think is best, Alice. I don't set out to hurt others." I brushed my tear aside. Alice moved forward and touched my forearm.

"I know that, but that is what you're doing, isn't it - hurting others, as well as yourself?" Her emotional voice paused, momentarily, as if giving me time to consider her words.

"You're friendship means a lot to me and surely you've realised that you've made an impression on my family. But whatever I've felt pales in comparison to what Edward is experiencing, Audrey. Jasper's influence can only do so much." Alice seemed to ponder something, before her melodic voice carried above the murmurings of the refrigerator and the sizzling of the pan. "You mean a lot to him, Audrey. I've never seen him act like he did this afternoon in the parking lot."

My eyes widened.

"I didn't see him at school today. I thought… after yesterday…"

"Well, he came to try and talk with you, again, but that changed when he saw Tom talking with you," Alice quickly interjected in a soft tone.

Suddenly, things began to click into place.

"No… surely he didn't think… I said no, Alice. He would have heard that," I spoke urgently to Alice, but I knew that my words were also meant for myself. Alice sighed and took a few paces back, to, once again, lean against the counter.

"He did hear you, but don't forget that he also would have heard Tom's thoughts. He is just the tiniest bit prone to overacting – something that you seem to have in common, if this situation is anything to go by." She raised an eyebrow, pointedly, before relaxing her expression. "He was confronted with a lot today, Audrey. You've made him uncertain of things for the first time in a long time."

My chest throbbed as her eyes met mine with alarming force and, in that moment, I couldn't keep my thoughts at bay.

"Don't you think I know that, Alice? I… I care for him and for you all and that's not something I think will ever change. It kills me to do it, but it's better to break ties now rather than later." As if affirming my message, I turned my back to Alice and busied myself by stirring the onions.

Alice wasn't finished.

"So you are leaving," she stated. "You're going back to Australia."

I continued to stare at the mangled mess I was stirring, as a shiver travelled up my spine.

"Yes," I finally breathed - my chest tight.

"Why?" She pressed. I dropped the spoon and the clatter of sound echoed around the kitchen. A lumped formed in my throat.

Turning around and meeting Alice's still, golden eyes, I admitted, "It's beyond my control, Alice."

Alice's head tilted to the side and she examined me with an intense, but distant, look. I knew she was searching for something in the future.

"It has everything to do with your cousin, doesn't it?" She said, focusing her eyes on mine.

_Did it have everything to do with Bella? Was I simply meant to prepare the Cullens for her? _

These thoughts travelled around my head and I knew the answer to them was, "I don't know." I cupped my cheek with my hand. "You say that I've made Edward uncertain about things. _I'm _uncertain about things, Alice…" I trailed off, closing my eyes.

"It's okay to be unsure, Audrey. It's okay to be scared."

My eyes snapped open and I felt my jaw tense.

"But it's not okay to push people away because of it." Alice moved closer to me again and I couldn't remove my eyes from her porcelain face. "If you love him, Audrey, you'll tell him the truth and let him choose how he wants to act."

-()-()-()-

Alice had left soon after, but her words had remained with me ever since.

Last night, I'd gone to bed tired, confused and weighed down by guilt. I'd woken up the next morning in a tangled mess and I knew that just as my conscious thoughts had tossed and turned, so had my unconscious thoughts in a fretful sleep. Hearing the cruiser leave the driveway, I'd sat up in bed and recalled how different things had been a week ago and I'd wondered how things would have been if I'd never touched that darn book. Thinking of that book that I'd reached for at the Cullens', I was reminded of how I hadn't given my own book much consequence in the light of my struggles of the past week. So, after getting changed and opening the cupboard, I'd dragged it out, whilst silently fighting a war within myself, between wishing that my pages left were few and wanting to find another hundred or so blank pages.

What I'd found, coupled with Alice's words, had led me here, to this vacant beach. I needed time to think. I needed a place that was isolated and that shielded me from any Cullen interventions. I needed a place to consider, for myself, everything of which I had become aware.

Only my time spent with the Cullens had been recorded in the book and, consequently, only a few pages had been used since last Saturday. Suddenly, words spoken by Mavis had begun reverberating in my mind.

"_Don't be afraid to make every page count, Audrey."_

Did making every page count mean spending time with the Cullens – with Edward? Did it mean not going home until I'd allowed myself to be exposed for who I truly was? Did it mean allowing them to get closer to me and me getting closer to them, before we were separated by more than simply the ocean before me?

_Wouldn't it be too easy if the home you knew lay beyond this ocean?_

"It would be one epic swim."

_What?_

I snapped my head to my left, with wide eyes and a pounding heart. Jacob was walking towards me. A large grin seemed plastered onto his warm face that stood out like a beacon against the cool tones of the beach and its surroundings. He didn't hesitate to take a seat beside me. He must have recognised my confusion, because he quickly moved to clarify his comment.

"You were staring out to sea as if you were trying to see Australia. Feeling a bit homesick?"

I turned to watch him sweep his loose strands of hair, which were fluttering in the wind, back from his face and couldn't help but twitch my lips into a small grin.

"Yeah… I guess you could say that," I murmured, kicking the dirty sand. Jacob nodded, seemingly considering my words, before reaching down to pick up a flat, smooth stone, which he juggled between his hands.

"So… you finally come to La Push and the first place you go is First Beach. What happened to visiting me?" Jacob grinned in my direction. I shook my head.

"Well, doesn't this count as visiting?" I said, indicating with my finger back and forth between us. Jacob stood up.

"I'll have to think about it." His eyes gleamed as he moved to skip the stone across the water. "How many skips do you think I can get?" he asked, turning towards me just before throwing.

I grinned and chewed the inside of my lip in consideration. "Hmm… three."

"All right… I'll go for four."

He cocked his head to the side, playfully, and looked out at the murky water before throwing.

_One, two…_

The stone skidded across the surface three times before sinking. It was nice knowing that I could still get some things right. I stood, grinning, tucked my hands in my coat pocket and moved towards Jacob who was already trying to seek out the perfect stone. I could tell he was determined to get four skips.

I jumped back, avoiding an incoming wave and chuckled. "Keep trying, Jake, but it's not going to happen with this wind. It's all dependent on the speed you get behind the stone and the angle at which it hits the water." I began walking along the beach in the direction of my car, breathing in the salty sea air. I soon heard Jacob catch up to me.

"Where are you going, Einstein?"

"It's _relative_," I joked, but unfortunately it was lost on Jacob. Even though I had been joking, I also knew there was truth in my words. How I lived out the rest of my pages was dependent on the decision that I knew I had to make today. That decision couldn't be made with Jacob – a carefree, fifteen year old - hanging around.

"I think I should be heading back, Jake," I exhaled, extracting my car keys from my pocket.

Jacob watched my expression and, seemingly discerning that I meant what I said, sighed, "I guess you'll want that box you gave me then."

…_Box? What Box?_

Then I remembered. I'd sent Jacob home with a box containing my iPod Touch to try and stop the Cullens getting suspicious.

_That really worked, didn't it?_

The question still remained though – did I want the box?

My head pounded and ached, being suddenly bombarded, once again, with the words of Alice, Edward and Mavis. My heart thudded with renewed strength, fuelled by the thoughts in my head. It was time to let Edward and the Cullens know the true Audrey Darling. She shouldn't be hidden from them any longer. No matter how hard I had tried to fight it, no matter how scared I still was of getting hurt and hurting others, all signs were telling me to not hide away any longer.

"Dree," Jacob pulled me from my thoughts, "If you drive me home, I'll give it to you," he bargained, staring at my car. My stomach twisting and turning, I indicated towards my car with a nod of my head.

"Well, hop in then."

As I unlocked the car, I prepared myself to open my own version of Pandora's Box.

-()-()-()-

The familiar and rejuvenating sensation of foot meeting asphalt, accompanied by my walking playlist pounding in my ears almost made me feel as if I was living my normal life.

Urged by my courage to open the box Jacob had kept for me, upon my arrival back at the house, I decided that it was also time to get back to some feeling of normality. With my iPod still having some battery life, I couldn't think of a better way to do that than by putting on my joggers and exercise gear and going for a brisk walk. As I'd shakily closed the door to the house, reached for my small umbrella and placed my headphones in my ears, I felt as if I was being released of the constraints that I had placed on myself. It was as if I were being stripped bare and revealed to the world for what I was and it was frightening.

Tucking my iPod into the waistband of my exercise tights, I breathed in deeply and mustered the strength to take that first step onto the street. After a few strides, I found my rhythm and I could feel the blood pumping through my limbs and my leg muscles working. Daughtry and Muse kept me company as I made my way along the forest lined roads, interrupted with the occasional house. I became so lost in the music that I barely registered the drops of rain getting heavier and heavier until the clouds truly opened, hitting me with a deluge of cold water. I raised my umbrella, but I might as well have not have brought the stupid, bloody thing. Putting it down, I increased my work rate, even beginning to jog to try and find shelter. The rain poured so heavily that I eventually relented and moved into what little shelter the forest could offer. I leant back against the trunk of a large tree and tried to regain my breath, whilst brushing my wet strands of hair out of my eyes. The problem with taking shelter, though, was that I was now immobile and, as such started to feel the cold. After careful consideration, I decided to head back to walking beside the road.

_You are such an idiot, Audrey! _

I continued grumbling to myself with each soggy, squish of my shoe. With my iPod volume at full kilter, because of the torrents of rain, it took me a while to register the sound of an oncoming car. My spirits lifted.

_Are you seriously considering hitchhiking? Are you insane?_

I stopped dead in a puddle when the silver Volvo became discernible. It screeched to a halt beside me and the driver's side door soon opened to reveal a perturbed Edward carrying a large towel. Within an instant he had the towel draped around me and was placing me in the car. Before I knew it, he was in the car and steering it along the darkened road. I stared at him and his dark, dampened hair. My heart thundered in my chest as he turned to me with intense golden eyes.

"What were you thinking, Audrey?" His firmly said question carried above the music in my ears. I soon extracted the headphones and placed them on my lap, before truly embracing the warmth of the towel. He seemed to see me shivering and turned up the heat.

"Thank you," I said, hoarsely. "And I don't know if I was thinking sensibly. I think, for a moment, I forgot that I was in Forks, where you can't escape the rain."

Edward continued driving, before turning to me with concern written across his face.

"Are you warm enough?" He queried, gently. I answered with a nod. The tension in the car almost prevented me from speaking.

"How did you know where I was?" I asked, intrigued. Edward kept his focus on the road as he answered.

"I followed you on foot and when I realised where you were headed and that you were going to get caught in the rain, I ran home to retrieve the car."

I found myself nodding in acceptance, before turning to look out the windscreen and the landscape that was revealed to me with every swipe of the windscreen wipers. A few moments passed before Edward's smooth voice filled the silence, almost with trepidation.

"What year are you from, Audrey?"

My breathing hitched and I swallowed before turning to face Edward.

"2009," I breathed. "I'm from late 2009."

Although I could feel the nerves travelling through my body, a pressure that I hadn't even realised I'd been carrying in my chest suddenly lifted.

Edward remained silent for a few beats and I waited anxiously to hear his voice.

"How did you come to be here?" He queried, meeting my eyes, momentarily.

I hugged the towel tighter to myself.

_Now's not the time to mention the book._

"I'm not exactly sure, Edward." I paused as the gravity of the situation hit me. "All I'm certain of is that I'll have to leave." My voice came out strained and I looked, forlornly, out the window to my right. Now that I'd uttered it, I couldn't prevent the truth from spilling out of my mouth. "I have to leave and that's why… that's why this past week happened."

The familiar weatherboard house soon came into view and Edward turned off the car upon turning into the drive. He turned to face me and a quizzical expression was evident in his features. I found myself trying to justify my actions.

"After that day at your house, I knew that I was growing too close to you all. I didn't know what to do, but the stupid side of me convinced myself that a clean break now would be better for all involved, rather than having to deal with inevitable separation at a later date. I thought the hurt might be lessened," I whispered, shedding a tear.

"For who?" Edward pressed, staring at me with unmatched intensity.

The air felt thick as it entered my lungs and I felt compelled to answer.

"For you… and for me. I thought that I was doing what was best for both of us. I still don't know what's best." I looked down into my lap, but Edward soon regained my attention by taking my hand in his. His glistening eyes held me.

"Audrey, what's best for me is you."

* * *

**I'm back and I'd love to know your thoughts. Please don't hate me.  
**

_**I value your feedback and I respond to every review. **_Reviewers get a preview of the next chapter.

Are you happy that Audrey has come to her senses? Has she come to her senses?

How did Edward work out that Audrey wasn't from his time?

What did you think of Alice's intervention?

Were you happy to see Jacob?

Are you looking forward to the next chapter?

What did you like the most about this chapter?

Has anyone ever looked at the ocean and thought about the places and things that lie beyond it?

_Best wishes and happy Easter.** If you want to know what's going on with me follow me on twitter at karry4harry.**  
_

_Karry._


	29. Fact is Fiction

A/N: Sorry and a million times sorry for keeping you waiting. To say that life has been busy would be an understatement. I've just done an internship of sorts, which robbed me of all my free time. Just when I thought I'd have time to write, lots of events happened with my family - all good things, though. I hope that things have all been going well for you. I hope that you enjoy this chapter and I will tell you now that I've already started chapter 30. Thank you for sticking with me. Believe me, I hate not being able to write and provide you with chapters sooner.

By the way, your comments, tweets and reviews are very much appreciated.

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2011**

* * *

**29. Fact is Fiction**

"Audrey, what's best for me is you."

Everything seemed to still as the smooth tones of Edward's voice faded to become merely a memory. The only thing I could feel was a powerful sinking sensation at the base of my sternum. I couldn't move my eyes away from his. No one had ever looked at me with such force and no one's gaze had ever had such power over me. All the while, I tried to comprehend the words Edward had spoken. Was I mistaken in thinking that they were spoken with undoubtable sincerity, or was I merely wishing for it to be the case?

_If he'd met Bella first, would he think the same?_

"Please tell me what you're thinking."

Edward's voice startled me out of my contemplations and I found myself automatically complying with his request.

"Only that I wish it were true," I breathed, my heart pounding in my chest. A tear fell from my eye and mingled with the drops of water dripping onto my face from the loose strands of my wet hair.

"Why can't it be?"

With deliberate slowness, Edward's hand found its way to my face and delicately wiped away my tear, before cupping my cheek. My skin tingled at his touch and I closed my eyes, instinctively knowing that my other senses would be heightened. I was totally aware of his being, as his thumb soothingly caressed my cheek. The blended scents of honey, vanilla and sandalwood surrounded me and, for the first time in a while, my worries seemed to leave me and I felt content in the moment.

_Yes, why can't it be true? _

And then my brain was awoken from its inebriated state.

…_Because your time here is based on pages... Bella is meant for him. You don't belong in his world._

My heart and intuition protested.

_Then why are you here?_

The words didn't need to be repeated in my head for my eyes to be instantly opened. There had to be some purpose to my appearance in the Twilight world and, as I looked directly into Edward's eyes, I couldn't prevent the thought entering my mind that perhaps my purpose for being here was, quite literally, staring me in the face. Yes, my time here was limited, but surely my presence here had to fulfil some function. After all, no pages had been filled when I'd isolated myself from the Cullens. Surely that meant that I was supposed to interact with them.

Four weeks ago I would have considered it crazy to even think that my actions could have any bearing in a fictional world. Now, I couldn't shake the thought that this world – this moment – was very real and that the decisions I'd made, and those that I would make, would influence my future and Edward's.

Although I'd never entertained the idea that I was what was best for Edward, I had considered, in another world, that he was what was best for me. As he moved his hands to encase my own, that thought resurfaced and I realised that Edward had pushed me over the edge of a precipice, but he had also caught me safely. Even now that he knew I was leaving, and that I was from a different time, he didn't shy away and that caused my chest to tighten. I was still compelled to consider the doubt that had crept into my mind. Did Edward want to spend time with me simply because I was a puzzle that needed solving or because I was something… more? I exhaled, trying to release some of the strain.

Edward's brow furrowed, his shining eyes watched me expectantly, seemingly waiting for me to divulge my thoughts. I arched an eyebrow as I regarded him and garnered enough courage to speak.

"I'm not just an unsolved puzzle to you, am I?" As I spoke the words, shivers dispersed from my chest all the way down to my toes. Edward's unwavering expression seemed to convey an answer that both thrilled and terrified me.

_No._

"This is so complicated," I sighed, looking down and shaking my head.

"I can't disagree with you on that."

My head snapped up and met Edward's chiselled expression, but I couldn't help the faint smile that formed on my tear stained face.

"You mean we've found something else to agree on?" My voice held mirth and seemed to signal a minute breakthrough, even to my dreary head. The heavy air that had filled the car lightened as Edward's crooked grin slowly etched itself upon his face.

"And I think that we can also agree that we definitely need to continue this conversation inside, but only after you've gotten dry and cleaned up."

Before I had a chance to respond, Edward was by my side, having already opened the door and extending his alabaster hand to assist me out of the car. I was no stranger to his chivalrous nature, but Edward's current gesture seemed to hold so much more meaning to me. Edward was assisting me out of my concealment and confinement and encouraging me to bring Audrey Darling out into the open.

Glancing up at Edward from beneath my lashes, I swallowed before reaching out to place my hand in his.

"Thank you." The words left my lips so easily.

My heart thundered in my ears when Edward placed his arm around the small of my back and gently guided me towards the front door, shielding me from the light drizzle of rain, and quickly into the shelter and warmth of the hall. My wet joggers squeaked against the hardwood floors and so, with great reluctance, I moved away from Edward to kick off my shoes and pull off my drenched socks. As I did so, my hands collided with the dangling ear pieces of my iPod. Having been reminded of its presence, I quickly withdrew my iPod from the waistband of my exercise tights and used the towel still draped across my shoulders to remove some of the moisture from the screen. I was startled when Edward's face was reflected back at me and I swiftly turned around – perhaps too swiftly. Edward's hands found my forearms to effortlessly steady me and I laughed as I unconsciously rested my forehead against his chest.

"Gosh, I nearly stacked it!"

My small chuckles were stilled as I became aware of my positioning.

Edward's chest remained still. I didn't feel his diaphragm rise and fall until his voice reverberated around the hallway.

"If I can help it, I will never let you fall, Audrey."

A rollercoaster of emotions seemed to twist and turn in my stomach. Edward released my arms, seemingly aware of my need to take a step back. My eyes flickered up to his sincere face.

"I might just hold you to that," I whispered, taking another step back. Edward smiled softly at me. I averted my gaze and fiddled with the towel rather awkwardly. Suddenly, there was a change in the atmosphere of the room. The air felt thicker as Edward's tone shifted and his expression became more intense.

"In the car you answered me honestly. Can you continue to be honest with me?" Edward probed, moving towards me and extending his right hand, which held a piece of slightly worn, folded paper. With his eyes, Edward implored me to remove the paper from his hand. I peered at the paper perplexedly before tentatively picking it up and unfolding it. My breathing hitched when I saw my own handwriting adorning the page and recognition filled my features when my own words were read to me.

"_Trust me when I say that I can be trusted._" Edward's phrasing and tone made my simple words sound so much more profound. I slowly looked up from the page, all the while considering the fact that he carried the note I'd left him. "That's what I've held you to, Audrey," Edward admitted, motioning towards my hand. His face held hints of apprehension. "Despite what I may have implied on the day that you wrote that note, I'm asking you to trust me." I was transfixed as he moved towards me and delicately brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Before you go upstairs, I need to know that you trust me," Edward breathed, running a hand through his rain-darkened auburn hair. "I need some reassurance that when you come back down here, after being left to your own thoughts, that you won't shut me out again, Audrey."

"You know me too well, Edward," I instantly conceded.

The room seemed to still and I became acutely aware of time passing with every inhale and exhale. The man before me suddenly appeared so vulnerable and it pained me to be confronted with the consequences of my recent actions. This was the time to tell Edward truths – to show him that I did trust him. My eyes stung as a burning sensation filled my chest.

_Give him the reassurance he needs, Audrey._

It didn't take me long to come up with a solution.

_You just got it back and now you're going to give it away?_

Chewing the inside of my cheek, I tossed the wonderfully troublesome iPod in Edward's direction and he caught it in a way that made the whole situation seem choreographed and not spontaneous. I shook my head.

…_Him and his vampire reflexes._

Edward's expression instantly brightened and there was a hint of a smirk on his face as he regarded me.

"Do I get to keep this?" He queried, playfully.

I shifted my stance and raised an eyebrow.

"Think of it merely as collateral." I paused and pointed my index finger. "I want it back when I come back down here." I began to move towards the stairs. "Remember, I've been deprived of _my_ music for a month…" I trailed off when I felt Edward's hand touch my shoulder. I turned around, more carefully this time, to see him looking fixedly into my eyes.

"Thank you, Audrey," he murmured in his flowing tone. I was immediately blanketed in tingles, but, somehow, in my dazzled state, I managed to nod before ascending the stairs. Breathing in Edward's lingering scent and remembering how it had felt to be cared for and have him place the towel over my shoulders, I heard Edward's words replay in my head.

"_If I can help it, I will never let you fall, Audrey."_

As I reached the final step and moved towards the doorway of my room, I realised that Edward's statement couldn't be upheld, because I had already fallen.

I had fallen for Edward Cullen.

I stood, holding the doorhandle, staring at nothing, but taking a close look at myself.

I hadn't made a difficult situation any easier. I'd neglected Mavis' advice and pushed it to the back of my mind. Suddenly, my inner voice seemed to come to an agreement with my heart.

_If you knew you were dying and had a limited number of days, wouldn't you make each day count?_

_If you knew someone you cared for was leaving you for eternity, wouldn't you want to spend as much time with them as you could, Audrey?_

_You've always believed that things happen for a reason and have a purpose, why should this experience be any different?_

"_Make every page count, Audrey."_

Mavis' advice seemed to blend with Edward's voice.

"_I need some reassurance that when you come back down here, after being left to your own thoughts, that you won't shut me out again, Audrey."_

With a deep breath and smile, I turned the door handle and hurriedly grabbed a cardigan, shirt and jeans to change into after my quick shower and I had every intention of making it a very quick shower.

I wasn't going to shut Edward out, again.

-()-()-()-

After my cleansing shower, it didn't take me long to find Edward. Call it strange, but I seemed to intuitively know where to find him. It was almost as if I had left a piece of myself with him.

Edward's eyes looked up from my iPod in his hand and found mine instantly as I crossed the threshold to the kitchen.

"Hi," I smiled, wrapping my cardigan around me and moving to lean my back against the counter.

Edward's crooked grin beamed back at me. "Hi."

_How does he manage to make the simplest of words sound so wonderful and as comforting as a good cup of tea?_

Suddenly, I craved a good cup of tea. As if pre-empting my movement towards the kettle, Edward reached behind him and pulled out a mug of steaming, tan coloured liquid. Gently brushing his cool fingers, I took the handle of the mug and appreciated the warmth contained within it.

"It should be okay to drink." I quirked an eyebrow, hoping that Edward was only referring to the tea's temperature and not the makeup of the beverage. Edward tipped his head to the side and watched me closely. _Tea-sing _him, slightly, I slowly moved to take a sip.

I almost hummed in contentment as I swallowed the ambrosia.

_That was definitely an Edward induced hyperbole!_

Hugging the cup with my hands, I shook my head at him in awe. "_It should be okay to drink,_" I mimicked in my best Edward impersonation, to which he raised an eyebrow and looked at me as if I'd grown another head. "Edward, seriously, it's much better than okay. You knew exactly how I like it. It was almost like you could read my mind," I grinned, taking another sip.

"Lucky for me, I can still read Alice and Esme's, then," he smirked. "Although, it would be wonderful to know if your mind does my voice more justice," he continued, taking a step towards me. I rolled my eyes. Despite this gesture, the tone of the conversation and the energy of the room became more serious. "And, it would be wonderful to know what ran through your mind while you were upstairs." A look of… contentment found his face as he looked down at me. "I like seeing this side of you."

My heart fluttered.

"What side is that?" I managed to choke out in my dazed state.

"The side that I'd like to see and learn more of," Edward baited.

I looked down at the rippling contents of the mug. Whilst it was true that a lot had run through my mind upstairs and that I had come to a decision to not shut Edward out, I still hesitated in my response. It was like I'd made the decision to knock down a brick wall in a house and replace it with a glass window, but I didn't have enough courage to pick up a sledge hammer and enact my decision.

_Come on, Audrey! Knock down that wall!_

I took another sip of my tea as if it were some form of liquid courage, before glancing up at Edward and moving towards the lounge room.

"What do you want to know, Edward?" I said, getting comfortable on the couch. A moment later, Edward was seated beside me and gazing at me with scrutiny and an undercurrent of something else that I couldn't quite place. He ran his free hand – the one not holding my iPod – through his relatively dry bronze hair.

I gripped the mug in my hands tighter. His smooth voice soothed my nerves marginally.

"What compelled you to have Metallica on your iPod at all, let alone on the same playlist as Nat King Cole?" Edward questioned playfully and incredulously.

I smirked. "Of all the things…" I muttered, resting my mug on my lap. Seeing that Edward was indeed serious, I answered honestly. "Well, if you must know, I like some of Metallica's work. I dig a good riff." I grinned, cheekily. "I have very eclectic tastes when it comes to music and, one day, I just wanted to please the side of me that you want to _see and learn more of_ and the side of me that you've supposedly already become acquainted with."

Edward stared at me amusedly and I raised a challenging eyebrow.

"How old are you, Audrey?"

My eyebrows instantly rose at Edward's diversion and I smirked as I cast my eyes downward and swirled my tea around. I peered up at Edward from beneath my lashes.

"I thought you of all people, Edward, would know it's not considered polite to ask a lady her age," I quipped. Seeing the frustration coupled with abashment contained on Edward's face, I quickly continued, "I don't know what you'll think of this, but I'm almost twenty-one… at least, that's what I think."

Edward didn't respond instantly. I ducked my head and fiddled with a strand of hair near my ear, needing to find something to do to use up some of the energy created by the extra adrenalin flowing through me.

Edward's voice soon commanded my attention.

"You look good for your age." My eyes and eyebrows rose simultaneously. Edward's crooked grin crept into place as my attempts to contain my own grin failed.

_Oh, Edward, you're too kind._

"So, I take it, you've attended college?" He continued when I didn't respond.

"University," I amended, with a nod of my head. "So, I can empathise with having to do the 'high school thing' again. Although, I have to say, it hasn't been too bad," I admitted, staring directly at Edward.

We held each other's gaze momentarily before Edward asked, "What did you study?"

"Science… Mathematics mainly," I clarified. Edward nodded, but the room fell stagnant. I experienced that unnerving sensation telling me that the conversation was about to shift up a notch in intensity.

I took another sip of my tea and then placed the mug on the coffee table. Edward took one of my free hands in his and my warmed hands made contact with a new, but very different source of warmth. Edward seemed to breathe deeply as he mulled over how to phrase the thoughts buzzing behind his amber irises.

"What am I to you in the future, Audrey?" Edward's voice showed a need for answers and he didn't provide me with a moment to think before he began justifying his questions. "You've never gained your knowledge about my family from dreams. All evidence points to you being acquainted with us intimately, because you know the intimate details of our existence." There was no malice or forcefulness in Edward's tone, only an eagerness for the truth and that made it all the more difficult to come up with a considered answer.

_How do you tell someone that, until a month ago, they were a fictional character to you?_

My heart beat out a fast bass line. I swallowed and opened and closed my lips a number of times prior to voicing one of the myriad of answers my mind had conjured.

"I learnt about you from Bella," I began, pausing after every second word.

_That's true, but he deserves the whole truth, Audrey. _

My jaw unclenched as his eyes held mine. I ran my hand through my hair.

"Edward, where I come from – the world I come from – it's different." Edward's eyes seemed to narrow in concentration. I exhaled. "This is a case where a lie may seem more credible than the truth, but I assure you that what I'm about to say is the truth."

_Ironically, in your case, Audrey, fact is fiction. _

Edward's thumb rubbing soothing circles on the back of my hand gave me the assurance I needed and encouraged me to continue.

With a deep breath, I came clean.

"I learnt about you and your family by… by reading about you."

There was silence for an instant and then Edward probed, with a furrowed brow, "From Bella's diary?"

I closed my eyes, scrunched up my face and shook my head.

"No, not her diary… although I guess it is like a diary of sorts… forget that…" My head felt like it was splintering because of my indecision. My pain was slightly soothed by breathing in Edward's comforting smell. I opened my eyes and looked deeply at Edward.

"You asked me what you are to me in my time. You're someone who I liked and who I wished that I could know better… but I never expected to be able to meet you. To me that was… improbable."

Edward's expression hardened and he withdrew his hands from mine as if he was fighting a war within himself.

"I've upset you. I'm sorry," I quickly offered, hoping to lighten the strain held in his features.

"How could you have wished to know me better, knowing what I am?" It felt like Edward rebuked. "Did you deliberately bring yourself here and intentionally put yourself in danger?"

Taken aback, I breathed deeply before even contemplating a response. My words came out more forcefully than I'd planned.

"Believe me, I didn't intend on coming here at all." I folded my arms across my chest. "And I'm not even going to justify that first question with a response. We've already discussed it and, unless my memory is failing me, vampires don't forget."

As Edward had chance to mull over my words, his expression softened. Like he always seemed to do when he was nervous or strained, he leant forward and ran his overwrought fingers through his hair.

The air felt thick as Edward looked up at me.

"Will I ever understand how your mind works?" He eventually breathed. His hand found mind and a fire seemed to ignite in my stomach. "Do I know you in your time, Audrey?"

_No, but I wish you could._

My lips twitched and my eyes began to tingle.

"No," I revealed in a mere whisper. "No, Edward, you don't even know that I exist." I ducked my head, trying to hide my watery eyes. A soft caress beneath my chin forced me to not shy away.

"A part of me is trying to convince myself that it's better that way," Edward conceded, his golden eyes glistening. "But that future no longer exists. Your presence here has changed everything," Edward encouraged, his eyes both gentle and intense, but my spirits weren't lifted.

_He thinks that because he's met you now that his future –your past- has changed… that they've become linked._

I swallowed, trying to alleviate the lump forming in my throat.

"If only it were that simple."

Edward's brow furrowed, but he didn't say a word and deep in my gut I knew that I needed to expand on my statement. Wetting my mouth, by reaching over and taking a sip of my tea, I tried to form the words that needed to be said, so that we could finally be on the same page.

"Edward, I read about you in a… in a novel."

"A novel by your cousin?" Edward pressed, his eyes searching. My head shook of its own accord.

"A novel by a woman called Stephenie Meyer," I corrected. Edward's eyes looked beyond me and his face held anger and worry.

"How did she find out about us? How many other people know our secret because of her book?" He spoke fiercely to the wall, before staring intensely at me, conveying his need for answers.

"That doesn't matter," I hastily responded, trying to squeeze his hand, but my efforts were futile. Edward stood up from the couch, moved towards the window and ran both of his hands through his hair.

"It doesn't matter?" His hard voice spoke with a mocking edge, as he turned towards me, his expression incredulous. "Do you not have any idea about what this means for my family…" I stood up quickly and firmly interrupted him.

"I wasn't being callous. I know how important your secret is." Edward stilled like a statue upon hearing my words. Realising that I had his attention, I softened my tone. "Please, rest assured that your secret stays a secret." _From everyone but Bella, but you don't need to know that at the moment. _

The tension in Edward's face appeared to lessen, but I knew the words that I was about to utter would soon make it reappear. I caught my breath before moving forward and taking Edward's hands. He followed my actions.

"Although some might live in hope, in my world, it is no secret that you exist only because of words written on a page."

I watched as comprehension seemed to dawn in Edward's shadowed eyes. My voice quaked as I answered his unspoken thoughts.

"Yes, Edward. You're a fictional character and I've somehow been sucked into your story."

* * *

I know... another cliffie, but that was where this chapter had to end. It didn't feel right any other way.

**_I'd love to hear your thoughts. I will eventually respond to every review and send a preview of next chapter._**

Favourite part of the chapter?

Least favourite part?

How do you think Edward will respond?

Anyone watching the Tour de France? Cadel Evans for the win!

I'll say it again, thank you so much for reading.

All the best,

Karry.


	30. Read My Lips

A/N: A thousand apologies for the wait and my inability to respond to reviews and give previews. Thank you all for the reviews. I read them all. Real life has been extremely time consuming, mainly because I completed a 6 week teaching experience block that was crucial to determining whether I pass my university degree. If you're interested, I passed! Anyhow, without further ado, chapter 30 is yours. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2011**

* * *

_"Although some might live in hope, in my world, it is no secret that you exist only because of words written on a page."_

_I watched as comprehension seemed to dawn in Edward's shadowed eyes. My voice quaked as I answered his unspoken thoughts._

_"Yes, Edward. You're a fictional character and I've somehow been sucked into your story."_

**Page Turner**

**30. Read My Lips**

Edward withdrew his hands from mine and stepped back. His taut expression appraised me for what felt like an immeasurable amount of time. I mourned the loss of contact and, with every second that passed, my heart's rhythm became more and more erratic. Like a swarm of paparazzi, my mind began to question incessantly why I had even considered speaking those words. My vision lost focus as all of my mental energy was used to fuel my train of thought.

_He wasn't ready to hear them, Audrey. He wasn't ready to hear those words – hear the truth. He wasn't ready… Now you might lose him. _

"Audrey."

My internal castigations were temporarily halted and I twitched nervously as Edward's voice punctured the silence. Blinking, my eyes found focus on Edward's face, etched with expressions indicative of complex deliberations and considerations. I felt like a transfixed object in a tableau, waiting for the scene to change – waiting for progress.

"Audrey," Edward repeated in a tone that I could not ignore, "Do you truly believe that?" He stared at me incredulously as he moved forward to close the distance he had placed between us moments ago. "You believe that you're in a fictional world surrounded by… fictional people?" His tone made me feel small.

"I don't have to believe it… It's the truth," I quickly countered, sitting up taller and mustering a firm expression, trying to urge him to consider the truth behind my words. Edward continued to examine me. His brow furrowed the longer he stared.

"I'm not fictional, Audrey. Despite what society would like to believe, despite so called fantastical representations, I, like the rest of my kind, am very real." He regarded me as I absorbed his words.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. Memories of when I met Mavis flitted into my head.

"_If only he were real." _

I breathed, fixing my eyes firmly on his. "I want you to be real, Edward. Every time I read about you I wanted you to be real… and… and now you're right in front of me contradicting everything that I thought was true." I paused, taking a few breaths and began studying the buttons of my cardigan. "Edward, though it may be hard to fathom and hard to hear, I'm telling you the truth that I know and that you asked me to share." I met his eyes with force. "In the world where I come from, this world – your world – comes to life in the pages of a book… a book that I've somehow been transported into." I exhaled in frustration. "I don't understand how you can accept the whole notion of time travel and not accept what I'm telling you now."

Each enunciated word rang around the room until a blanket of silence fell, once again, and stifled them.

I use to think that silence was golden, but the only golden thing at that moment was Edward's scrutinising and penetrating gaze. Thankfully, his controlled voice soon filled the void and opened my eyes to what he was facing.

"Audrey, the notion of time travel didn't undermine my existence."

In a very human way, Edward sighed and his eyes ventured down to the floor, seemingly trying to find the right words to convey what he was thinking and feeling. Conflict was evident in all of his features and I'm sure my face was anything but a picture of serenity as I watched Edward organise his thoughts, because, in that moment I realised what I was actually asking him to believe. I began to think about how I'd feel if I'd been told the same.

_How could you have been so callous, Audrey?_

"I'm sorry, Edward," I whispered, as remorse flooded me.

His lowered head was immediately raised and his eyes met mine questioningly.

"I'm not sorry for what I've told you, but the manner in which I told you and that I didn't trust you with the truth sooner," I clarified, my chest constricting with every word. My apology didn't offer me the release that I'd hoped.

Remaining as still as a statue, Edward studied me. A new wave of adrenalin spread through my body when he suddenly ran a hand through his thick hair.

"You're quite adamant, then, that the world you currently reside in is born from the imagination of this Stephenie Meyer?" Scepticism rang in Edward's tone, but I could see a glimmer of his willingness to appease me and this gave me hope that one day, before I left, he might just believe me. They say that the truth sets you free, but, as I was confronted with Edward's expression and confusion, I felt anything but liberated. I tried to think of something to say to eliminate doubt – both Edward's and my own.

"There's too much evidence to deny otherwise," I resignedly asserted. "I mean, how is it possible that I know all about you and your family? How is it that I knew about the van in the school parking lot? Even you admitted that all evidence pointed to me not having dreams and to knowing your family intimately." I swallowed, trying to eliminate the uncomfortable lump forming in my throat. Still not quite convinced that I had persuaded Edward, I continued on more urgently, my hands flailing around, following an almost choreographed routine to accompany the cadence of my arguments.

"How did I know the content of that first biology lesson that we had together? Why didn't I know the content of the next lesson? I'll tell you; the book never mentioned _that_ lesson, because you went to spend time with the Denali Coven." Mentioning the Denali's caused a light bulb to turn on in my head. "How else could I know of Tanya's attentiveness towards you _and_ your lack of desire to reciprocate?" I searched Edward's face trying to garner if I had succeeded in somewhat convincing him, but his face wore a perfect mask and gave nothing away.

Resignation weighed me down like a steel bar resting across my shoulders. Painfully, I slumped down on the couch and rested my head in my hands. I massaged the temples of my throbbing head until desperation caused a new round of thoughts to surface.

"I know so many things, Edward. I know that your friends aren't limited to those, like the Denalis, who share your lifestyle." I paused, contemplating whether to share the next bit of information, but, with great hesitancy, I whispered into my lap, "Peter and Charlotte will visit soon, Edward."

I felt the couch shift beside me. Responsively, I sat up straight and turned to Edward, whose eyes displayed his internal struggle, even behind their shields of wayward strands of copper hair. My breathing hitched when he reached out and touched my hand. His once hesitant expression held determination and his assured voice mirrored the strength of his movements. I found myself feeling invigorated from the tips of my fingers all the way down to my toes. Smooth velvet tones disturbed the silence and caused a static to enter the air.

"Then I won't be letting you out of my sight."

I tried to squeeze his hand and offer some reassurance.

"Edward, they won't hurt me…"

"Audrey, you may know a lot – more than you should know – about my kind, but you do not know how a vampire's mind works." Edward retracted his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. He seemed to speak words meant only for himself. "Your scent is all over the house…"

"I shouldn't have said anything," I mumbled to myself. Edward's eyes immediately found mine. "I'm telling you, Edward, they won't hurt me, so _please_, stop worrying."

The room seemed to still as Edward's eyes bored into mine.

"You're asking the impossible, Audrey, because I will never stop worrying about you or your safety."

My eyes instantly tingled and my chest warmed. I tried to contain my emotions as I shook my head.

"Please, don't say things like that to me, Edward."

"Why not?"

Taking a deep breath, I answered Edward's perplexed expression, in a strained voice.

"It won't make my leaving here any easier."

Edward's long, marble fingers slowly reached up to delicately graze my cheek, as if he were a human trying to memorise my face. His golden irises flooded my vision and my breathing became shallow. His eyes held apprehension and torment swirled beneath their depths, before he moved closer to me, making his decision, allowing our legs to touch. My muscles twitched at the contact.

"Why are you so certain that leaving here is inevitable?" Edward's mellow tone and proximity made it difficult to form a coherent response. Nevertheless, I looked up at him and answered honestly.

"…Because the book has an end."

"…But the characters' story doesn't," Edward quickly responded.

I wanted to persist and tell him that this story wouldn't have a fairy tale ending, but, as I looked at his deep expression and his haunted eyes, I couldn't urge myself to do it. My chest felt constricted. I couldn't utter a word.

_But you know what you have to do, Audrey. _

Like Jiminy Cricket had told me to do as a child, I let my conscience be my guide.

With a reverberating sigh, I moved to stand up and was rather startled when a perplexed looking Edward stood beside me, glanced down and greeted me.

"Audrey..?"

I could feel the extent of my anxiousness through the painful tensing of the muscles in my forehead, but I neglected the urge to massage them and, instead, hesitantly reached out to touch Edward's arm.

"I… I need to show you something," I whispered, looking at Edward's sleeve. "It's… it's in my room."

Edward's arm slid away from beneath my hand and I met his eyes when his hand encased mine. Gently, he led me forward, away from the couch, until we were staring at the hallway. My heart rate spiked when I felt his hand lightly touch the small of my back and send beautiful tingles down my spine. Despite the almost overpowering sensations caused by Edward's touch, I recognised that he was inviting me to take the lead and ensuring me that he would follow. Despite all of this, a foreboding feeling shadowed me as I led Edward up the stairs and into my room. It didn't leave me as I moved towards the cupboard and grasped the door handle.

_Can you do this, Audrey?_

I turned around and stared at Edward who was watching me with an inquisitive expression from the centre of the room.

_He needs to know… he needs to see it._

I gripped the cupboard door handle with all my might, thinking of the possible ramifications of what I was about to do. Instantly, my anxious thoughts were being spoken.

"Edward, what I'm about to show you… can we keep it just between us?"

He must have seen the uncertainty and worry in my eyes, because he nodded in a movement discernible with human vision and quickly responded, "If that is what you need."

"I do."

He moved forward and rested his hand on my shoulder. His golden eyes carried so much sincerity.

"Then it will stay between us."

My heart warmed for an instant as I looked down at the floor and nodded, finding the nerve to open the door. I felt Edward step back and give me space, but my eyes didn't leave the tower of boxes that I knew concealed the item that I was after.

With a deep breath, I crouched down and moved hindering items aside, piece by piece, until my eyes fell upon the familiar cover of Mavis' book. Just as the pale hands held out the red apple against the black, I couldn't help but question if this book was my apple – my forbidden fruit – to give.

_Well, you're not giving him the actual book. You're not handing him a story of a future that you've interfered with… and you shouldn't let him read them. This… this is __**your**__ story to give._

With my mind made up, I lifted the book with trembling hands and brought it to my chest. Fuelled by adrenalin, I stood and turned around to face the person who, right now, held the key to Pandora's Box.

Edward's eyes were wide as they scrutinised what rested against my chest and they seemed to convey unspoken questions.

I did my best to answer.

Moving forward, I nervously offered my used and blank pages to him.

He didn't move to take the book straight away. If it was possible, Edward looked rather taken aback.

"Is this my story, Audrey?" He queried with a raised brow. "Twilight..?"

I pondered my response.

"…Partially. This… this isn't exactly the novel that I spoke of, because… well, because…" Frustrated with my inability to convey what I wanted to, I thrust the book in Edward's direction. "It's easier to answer that by showing you."

It was a weird sight to see alabaster hands eclipse those on the cover of the book. I watched intently as Edward examined the instrument of our meeting and lowered myself to the bed as he opened the book and began reading. I knew the words that his eyes were meeting.

"For my train friend, Audrey, who must live her dream and write her story and worry not of the home that she will return to in 434 pages time," I quoted, as Edward's eyes found mine. "That's how I know that my leaving here is inevitable, Edward. The stranger who left this book on the train spells it out in black and white right there on that page."

Immediately, Edward flicked his way through the pages until he reached the spot that I had bookmarked earlier today.

"How many pages do I have left?" I asked, softly, when he didn't say anything. He turned to me then and made his way to the bed and sat beside me. My chest tightened.

"…Two hundred and twenty-six."

_226._

I ran a hand through my hair as thoughts of my impending farewell sprung to mind with even greater force.

"You said a stranger left this book on the train," Edward prodded when I remained silent.

I swallowed to try and relieve my dry throat.

"Yes. She said her name was Mavis and I took the book with me with the aim of returning it to her, but, when I got home and checked it, it was blank. I mean, all the pages were blank," I recounted, urgently. "Then, I went to bed and woke up here to be greeted with that message." I inclined my head towards the book, still resting in Edward's hands.

Edward stared down and began scanning the pages.

"You're rewriting the story."

"I guess so," I sighed. "I don't know."

_Maybe this is really all in your head._

Edward turned back a number of pages. I waited impatiently as he read, finding a use for my nervous energy by playing with a loose thread on my bedspread. As I did so, it dawned on me that Edward was finally getting a glimpse into my thoughts and I felt my cheeks flame.

I was trying to hide my face when a cool touch met my chin. Edward carefully guided my eyes to his, before pushing a free strand of hair behind my ear. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that the book was closed and resting on the bed, but that didn't seem to hold any significance when looking into gleaming, darkened topaz eyes.

"I'd like to test something," Edward murmured in an unsteady voice that, amazingly, was still as smooth as a fine, perfectly matured merlot. I was lost in the moment. I couldn't form words. My mind was devoid of thought as Edward tantalisingly leant forward. My heart thundered as his face drew closer and closer to mine, pausing momentarily to simply gaze at me, as if seeking out a reason to not close the distance between us.

I couldn't give him any.

As if oppositely charged, we drew each other in. Urged by instinct, I felt my lips open slightly as a tide of butterscotch swept me up and my eyelids fluttered closed. Without seeing him, I knew where he was. I knew his proximity. I knew he paused in his movements to test himself – to gauge if he was in control. The air seemed to crackle in the empty space between us, until it was empty no longer. A spark was ignited as smooth, marble hands cupped my face. Noses touched as cold lips delicately descended to caress my own. Instantly, warmth cascaded from my still lips and pooled behind my navel, causing whirlpools of emotion to awaken a whole new door of being. Connecting to Edward in this way felt sublime and it wasn't long before my lips responded by moulding around his as my hand rested against his chest.

It was a strange experience to be energised and fuelled by ice. Perhaps it is similar to the sensation experienced by an alcoholic consuming a scotch on the rocks – cold to the touch, but inevitably warming and filling a hole. I was far from an alcoholic, but I could see myself being consumed by a longing to be with Edward. This was made more obvious to me when Edward's hands reached my shoulders and gently forced me backwards. Reality, which had become a blur, came back at me with clarity.

_Is Edward ok? Had we pushed his control?_

My breaths came out short and fast as I stared at Edward's taut expression with wide eyes. I remained in the same position as Edward slowly removed his hands from my shoulders and reached behind his back to retrieve the book. I watched perplexedly as Edward turned to a page near the one I had bookmarked and smiled.

And then it clicked.

Edward had just brought a whole new meaning to "kiss and tell".

The book had allowed him to _read_ my thoughts.

"…No way! You didn't just do that! Give the book here, please." I tried to retrieve the book from Edward's grasp, even though I knew that any attempts were futile if Edward didn't want to give it back to me. That crooked grin adorned his face as he readily handed the book back to me. I was shocked when I actually had the book in my hands.

A variety of emotions hit me as I hid my eyes from view – embarrassment being the most prominent.

"Audrey, look at me please," Edward pleaded, very easily weakening my resolve. His face, so recently jovial, was now quite solemn.

He reached for my hand and, without even thinking, I let him take it. The action, it seemed, had become automated. As his thumb moved against the back of my hand, a strange energy compelled me to grant Edward his request. When I did, I was greeted with a portrait of remorse, but my embarrassment still guarded me like a suit of armour.

"Was it a good read?" I said in a tone laced with cynicism, as I inclined my head towards the book.

"Well, yes," Edward instantly responded in a sure voice. "I imagine that it would be quite the page turner."

I scoffed.

"Audrey, your thoughts were…"

I cut Edward off.

"…My thoughts _were_ my own. I can't believe that I allowed you to… well, to finally _read_ them!" I could feel the heat building on my neck. Before I knew it, Edward's cool touch was acting as a compress against my cheek.

"Please, don't be embarrassed," Edward's smooth voice soothed. "If my thoughts formed the basis of a story, each page would centre on what you mean to me and how you bring out feelings in me that I've never experienced or that I've long since forgotten." A strange warming sensation cascaded down my chest and my breathing slowed. Edward's words resonated over and over again in my head and made me reconsider if sharing my thoughts was really such a bad idea.

"You obviously know now that… that it's the same for me too, Edward," I whispered. "But I wish for your sake that it wasn't."

Edward leant in closer. His golden eyes and his responding tone and expression evoked determination.

"Don't wish away some of the best moments of my existence, Audrey. I know that you believe that your time here with me ends with the pages of that book - that you will return to your world - but I need you to consider other possibilities."

He paused as if trying to ascertain my willingness to listen. Seemingly satisfied, he continued on with, if possible, more purpose. I was numb to everything except Edward's compelling voice and eyes.

"Audrey, I need you to consider that I am real and that this is my reality that you are a part of.

"I need you to consider that we can make our own reality."

Edward removed both of my hands from the book resting in my lap and held them in his. He stilled momentarily, looking down at our hands, before turning the full power of his gaze on me.

"I need you to write the rest of your story knowing that you are my life now."

My eyes tingled with a myriad of emotions and my heartbeat came to a crescendo. I regarded Edward and tried to commit to memory the look in his eyes and the way his alabaster skin and bronze hair shone in the dwindling glow of Twilight.

… And I made a decision.

Raising our conjoined hands, I closed my eyes and delicately placed a kiss on the back of Edward's palm.

"Okay," I breathed.

When I looked back up, Edward was staring at me with a newfound intensity.

In that moment I accepted my reality.

In that moment I accepted that I was in love with Edward Cullen.

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**Alright... what's the verdict? I know it is a bit shorter than other chapters, but the chapter spoke to me and told me to finish it there. **

**I hope you liked it.**

**I love your feedback and really appreciate it. I do read every review and I will try and get back to you. **

**Did you get up to anything interesting since I last updated?**

**Hope you all are well,**

**Karry.**


	31. Food for Thought

**A/N: **Here is another instalment. Many, many thank you's to all of you who reviewed. I read every one of them. I'm only sorry that I haven't been able to respond to all of them. I love hearing what you think and I do take on board your comments. Hopefully, I can start responding to them again.

Also, I started writing a new story. It just wouldn't leave my head. It's called Adrift and it's a Bella/Edward AH. Be warned, it is rated M for language and violence, but I really like what I've done with the first two chapters. I hope that you do too. Check it out on my profile page.

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. I only wish I had dreamt up Edward! Audrey and Mavis belong to me.**

**Copyright: karry4harry 2011**

* * *

**Page Turner**

**31. Food for Thought**

"Excuse me."

Momentarily startled, I hurriedly grabbed my messenger bag, whilst juggling my iPod, and moved into the aisle of the train carriage that was coming to a stop.

As I glanced up and acknowledged the women vacating the window seat, an influx of questions pounded my brain.

_Haven't you been here before, Audrey? Why does this feel wrong and yet so familiar?_

The heavily made-up face of the woman looked down upon me judgingly and I watched with wide eyes as she carefully manoeuvred her briefcase around me as if I were the carrier of a deadly contagion.

_You've seen that look before. _

I raised an eyebrow, contemplatively, and thickly pencilled eyes appeared affronted before their owner acknowledged me with an abrupt nod.

I froze.

_You're on the train. You're on __**that**__ train… but how?_

My _train_ of thought came to a standstill when I nearly toppled down the aisle of the carriage as the train came to stop. Hearing the train doors slide open, and being a seasoned train traveller, I reflexively moved to take the newly vacated window seat before any new passengers could.

_Why are you back here, Audrey?_

I looked down at the messenger bag that I had rested on my lap. As if being controlled by my memories, my hand travelled to my ears and removed my headphones, one by one. Staring straight ahead and wrapping the headphones around the iPod, my mind went full circle, making a startling realisation.

_Mavis. _

_Mavis is about to get on the train!_

My searching eyes honed in on the stairs that "Noddy" had so recently descended. I sought out any sign of a navy suit – any sign of soft grey, cloudlike hair. I looked for that symbol - Mavis' symbol – the twisted star.

But there was no sign, no indication, that Mavis had boarded the train. As I heard the warning beeps before the train doors slammed shut, my heart rate increased dramatically and my lungs cried out for more oxygen.

_She's not coming… _

My heart ached as reality hit me.

I'd lost something that I'd never get the chance to find.

_You'll never get to meet him. You'll never get to see Edward. _

The train jolted forcefully to the side as if mocking me further, trying to knock me to my senses and recognise reality.

But it only brought more piercing pain.

A tear escaped my eye and traced a path down my cheek, but it was the feeling of another thicker liquid descending down my right arm that alarmed me.

I registered the rusty, salty smell before my eyes took in the deep red river pooling on the vacant vinyl seat, before dripping over the edge and tarnishing… _Mavis' Book_. My chest constricted as my breath was knocked out of me and my heavy limbs protested at being moved. Dizzily, I leant forward and watched every drop of life fall onto the pale hands on the cover, just like I'd followed every page as it had been written.

_Until the end. _

Mustering all the energy within me, I found myself slowly reaching down for the book, my fingers aching to hold it once again. I moved to grasp the spine, but the train screamed to a halt, propelling me forward. My clouded eyes watched the book slide down the carriage away from me, as I fell, knowing that the floor would meet me.

I shot up in my bed, wide eyed and gasping for air. Instead of the floor, it was cold, but comforting, arms that greeted me.

"Audrey, it's okay," the soothing voice repeated in perfect cadence, bringing light to the very dark room.

Once again, I found myself questioning what was dream and what was reality.

Had I really been awoken from the dream or had I been transported back into the deep recesses of my mind?

Were Edward's reassuring arms the product of some elaborate and unexplained hallucination or was I really and truly here?

As his hands travelled up to hold my face, I knew that, wherever I was, dream or reality, I had to make the most of it.

Edward's thumbs ran across my cheeks and I leant into his touch as his cool lips eased my taut forehead. Edward's presence was like a strange sedative that suppressed my nerves and worries, but stimulated my heart. My heightened breathing started to calm as I breathed in the incense that was Edward's unique scent.

"Edward," I whispered, suddenly needing to hear his voice again.

"I'm here, Audrey."

I felt him brush some hair away from my face, knowing that he could see me and I desperately wanted to see him and not just his silhouette. I blindly reached to my right and found the bedside lamp switch.

My eyes blinked readjusting to the dim light that illuminated the room and highlighted the planes of Edward's face. He sat on the edge of my bed and his eyes showcased the concern that had driven all of his actions. I brought my hand up and rested it over the one of his that still held my cheek.

_Yes. You are here._

Thinking more coherently, I was awakened to the fact that he hadn't been here when I'd gone to sleep, although he had promised to be here when I woke up. Such a thought brought with it many questions, predominantly concerning how his family had taken the news of my situation and my deception, because I had deceived them, whether I had been well meaning or not, but those thoughts could wait.

I interlaced my fingers with his and guided both of our hands to rest on the rumpled bed spread.

"Thanks. I'm glad that you're here," I whispered, looking up to meet his glowing eyes.

A hint of the crooked grin that I loved so much crept onto his face.

"I'm glad that _you're _here, Miss Darling."

I nearly melted. Hearing those words brought flashes of the events of the afternoon to the forefront of my mind. It was hard to grasp the fact that I had actually revealed my secret (well, it wasn't really a secret anymore) to Edward Cullen and, even harder to believe, was the memory of Edward Cullen kissing me. As if knowing that I required further assurance that it did actually happen, Edward slowly brought his forehead to mine. I remained completely still, only moving to close my eyes, as his glass-smooth lips delicately caressed mine. I didn't let myself feel a smidgen of guilt for what I'd just done when we drew apart and really looked at each other.

_What a difference an afternoon can make._

"Are you okay now?" Edward asked, eyeing me more seriously than before.

Instantly, fragments of my nightmare came back to me, overpowering the tender feelings that had flowed from the kiss, and I swallowed as the intense images flashed in my mind's eye. I ran a hand through my hair, before massaging the back of my aching neck.

"Yeah," I admitted and even to myself I didn't sound too convincing.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

Edward's question hung in the air and I mulled over the idea. Did I want to bring up my fears and worries that had already been hashed out that afternoon? That discussion, in itself, had probably been the prompter of my dream.

"No," I eventually breathed, shaking my head.

Edward still watched on concerned.

"It was just the typical address-all-of-your-fears dream," I conceded, when he didn't relent.

The wind howled outside.

The expression on Edward's face gave me the impression that he had an understanding of what those fears were. There was no need to voice them.

"I _would_ like to talk about how your… _conference_ turned out, though." I tried to change the topic, awkwardly and Edward readily obliged.

"It went well. Naturally, they had many questions that they didn't voice, but I heard." Edward brought his pallid index finger to his forehead to reinforce the meaning of his words. "They want to see you today."

"You're being awfully cryptic and it's making me nervous," I blurted out, not censoring my thoughts.

I felt his thumb languidly graze the back of my hand.

"Don't be nervous."

"It's hard not to be when you're not telling me anything at all about what they think of me now." I leant back and rested my head on the headboard.

Once again, the wind filled the void.

"Their opinions of you have changed somewhat, that is true," his smooth voice finally admitted. My shoulders tensed and I continued to stare at the ceiling.

_Alice probably hates you for not confiding in her - _

Before I could continue surmising the worst, Edward continued.

"They look upon you more highly, now, Audrey."

I sat back up wide-eyed, not quite certain if I'd heard Edward correctly. He raised an eyebrow at my expression as I addressed him.

"Why? I mean, I lied to them, I haven't spoken with them…"

Edward interrupted and placed his hands over mine, which had previously occupied themselves by checking off each item on my unfinished list.

"They see the similarities between your situation and ours. They admire the way that you have carried yourself, being on your own."

Everything, but my fluttering heart, stilled as Edward's amber eyes bored into mine with great conviction.

"I admire you." His cool fingers traced a burning path down the side of my face. "But you are not alone anymore."

Without apprehension, my lips sought out his, but a firm hand on my shoulder halted my movements.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, as my face warmed. It was too easy to forget that every time that he was with me he was in pain.

"Don't be," he stated and the fight for control was evident in his tone.

I looked up, bashfully. "Just… just be warned that you can't say things like that and expect me to act otherwise."

Edward's tense jaw instantly morphed into a calculating smirk.

"I shall keep that in mind."

And I was nearly undone again.

Early morning light filtered through the tree branches, bringing out the auburn highlights in Edward's hair. Extremely slowly, I brought my hand up to the nape of his neck and twisted my fingers through his beautifully soft hair. He hummed at my touch and I began the new day with a smile.

-()-()-()-

"Someone's up early," Charlie commented with a wry grin, as he made his way into the kitchen, touching my shoulder as he grabbed the coffee pot and a mug. "What's the occasion?"

Almost choking due to Charlie's uncanny perception, I finished chewing the biscuit in my mouth and took a sip of tea before meeting his eyes.

I knew that I had to tell him. I had promised him, after all. I should have told him last night, but he'd practically crashed on the couch after a hard day's work. I guess that I just didn't know what to expect from him. Charlie and my relationship was very different to the one conveyed by Bella in Twilight.

"Well?" he prodded, light-heartedly. "This doesn't have anything to do with why you were much happier yesterday evening, does it?"

In one gulp, I downed the rest of my tea and placed the empty mug in the sink.

"It does," I admitted, sheepishly, suddenly finding my fingernails interesting. "I said that I'd tell you if something was going on between me and Edward Cullen, well…" I trailed off, insinuating with my hand where I was going.

"Mhmm?" Charlie murmured, raising his eyebrows above his coffee mug.

"Well, he's coming over soon and I think that he'd like to take me to his place today, while you're fishing down in La Push… if that's okay?" I added, realising that it was probably better to present the idea as an option, remembering that around Charlie I was still a seventeen year old.

His eyes were firm and his face wore a blank expression, but, unfortunately for him, I saw it as his teasing attempt to make me nervous.

"Can we do away with the pretence of playing the overbearing father figure, Uncle Chuck?" I grinned and, for no apparent reason, looked outside.

Charlie caved.

"You understand me too much for my own good, kiddo," he mused, moving forward to stand directly in front of me. "When's he coming?"

A knock on the door was Charlie's answer.

He scrunched up his face and glanced at his watch before raising both eyebrows.

"Seven? You kids do realise this isn't a school day, right?" He shook his head in bemusement and made his way to the door, coffee mug still in hand.

I followed, quite interested in seeing how Charlie would greet Edward as my, well, as my boyfriend, I guess, given the different circumstances under which they'd met. At the same time, I couldn't help but wonder how my Dad would have greeted a potential suitor and I found myself leaning against the doorway to the hall, weighed down by re-emerging emotions, watching on with a suddenly heavy heart.

Once Charlie had instinctually pushed his shoulders back, he didn't hesitate to open the door.

It wasn't that long ago since I'd seen him, but my spirits and heart instantly lifted and my eyes delighted as they took Edward in. His black jeans and navy, form fitting jumper juxtaposed with his pearly skin and copper hair to, if possible, make him look more ethereal standing on the front porch in the light, misty rain. I wanted to close the distance between us so badly, but I showed some restraint by holding my ground and simply being the audience of the emerging spectacle before me.

Charlie waited a moment before moving aside and allowing Edward to come in.

"Edward," he greeted firmly, but respectfully.

"Chief Swan," Edward responded in turn and politely extended his gloved hand. Charlie eagerly took it and I noticed the muscles in his forearm tighten. I had to bring my hand to my mouth to muzzle my laughter when Edward appeared to slightly grimace in pain. For someone who had never played this role before, he was marvellous and I don't know why that surprised me.

When Charlie seemed gratified that he had exhibited his manliness to Edward, he released his hand and developed a satisfied grin.

"So, I understand that you would like to spend, well, it seems, the _whole_ day with Audrey," he said, in a voice that I'm sure he used when questioning suspects and I also had the feeling that he still hadn't gotten over the time thing.

Once again, I tried to not think about how comical this scene truly was.

Edward's knowing eyes found mine, briefly and then returned to Charlie.

"That's the plan, Sir, if, of course, you don't have any objections." Edward paused and when Charlie didn't instantly respond, I made my presence felt.

"Uncle Chuck, Edward would like to take me to breakfast and then we'll just be spending the day with his family."

I still, for the life of me, didn't understand why I had asked Edward to take me to breakfast. Any sane person probably wouldn't ask such a question of their vampire boyfriend.

_And sane people do have vampire boyfriends._

Nevertheless, he had found the idea endearing and was even excited by the prospect.

I took note of Edward from the corner of my eye, hoping that he would give me some indication of what Charlie was thinking. A small grin told me all that I needed to know.

"Drive carefully, Edward and don't get home too late, Dree. Remember that you two have school tomorrow," Charlie articulated, before turning his back on Edward and winking at me. I raised an eyebrow and then hugged him.

"I'll see you later," I whispered into his flannel shirt and then allowed Edward to assist me with my coat.

As I reached for my bag, Charlie's eyes met Edward's, inquiringly.

"I'll look after her, Sir," Edward answered and with a delayed nod, Charlie ushered us on our way.

My fingers tingled as Edward's hand found mine.

Walking towards the Volvo, I just hoped that Edward's words weren't going to be the precursor to horrible events, as they had been in Twilight.

Edward stared at me strangely as he opened the car door for me and I looked at him perplexedly as he made his way around to the driver's side of the car, before taking my seat. When he eventually had the car started and we were driving away, I questioned him about it.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No. Far from it," he quickly responded, putting my nerves, but not my mind at ease. Seemingly seeing this, he continued with a tender tone. "You amaze me, Audrey. For someone who thinks that they have simply been implanted into a fictitious story for a short period of time, you act rather staggeringly."

My brow furrowed.

"How so?"

Edward's warm eyes found mine as he pulled the car to a stop at a red light.

"Well, you're seemingly in a disposable world and yet you do not treat the people around you as if they were disposable. You always seem to have their best interests in mind. Charlie, for instance, is not your real uncle, but you are extremely careful to play the part of a loving niece and offer him a family bond that has been withheld from him."

Edward's eyes returned to the road as the lights changed, but I remained frozen in my place trying to come to terms with what I'd just heard.

"It was just an observation," Edward added, as if slightly proud of himself for achieving something. His tone gave me the feeling that he was still trying to convince me that the world that I was in was real.

The car came to a stop in front of the diner on Forks' main street – the same place that Charlie had taken me to on the day that I'd first _bumped _into Alice. Unlike that day, the street was relatively free of people and, as Edward offered me his hand to assist me out of the car, the scene most definitely did not feel like one from a Hallmark movie.

"It doesn't feel right to treat anybody really badly, whoever or whatever they are," I sighed as Edward closed the door. "But I can start practising on you, if you want me too," I said impishly. Then I realised that I had already treated him horribly.

_Forget about that, Audrey. You've both moved on. _

Edward's eyebrows disappeared behind his loose strands of hair that had formed a slight fringe.

"Audrey Darling not being a darling would be intriguing to see, but I think that I'm happy with her just as she is," he mused, taking my hand and gently guiding me into the diner. I beamed as he led me towards a booth near the back and helped me remove my coat. Thoughts of a similar scene in Twilight between Edward and Bella came to mind, but were soon eclipsed by Edward's expression as he gazed at me, while removing his gloves and then reached across the table to hold my hand.

_Yes. This is very different._

"Thanks," I smiled.

"Well look who it is!" A familiar feminine voice exclaimed from behind me and I didn't have to see the curly brown or chequered apron to know who it was. Rhonda approached the table and gladly placed two menus in front of Edward and myself. Her eyes remained fixed on Edward for quite some time and I began to question if she'd been referring to me or Edward when she'd spoken.

"Hi, Rhonda," I greeted, drawing her attention back to me. "How're you going?"

She beamed. "I forgot how cute your accent was, dear. Oh and I'm good… Doing the best I can on a Sunday morning, just like you." She took another glimpse at Edward and her cheeks flushed. Edward didn't seem to take any notice. I just smiled. For a time, the only sounds that could be heard were those coming from the few other patrons of the diner and the kitchen. A clatter of the pots broke Rhonda from her stupor.

"Um, what can I get you?"

I picked up the menu.

"I'll have the chocolate chip pancakes, please and some English Breakfast Tea would be lovely. What would you like, Edward?" I cheekily peered above the menu. It seemed, though, that I hadn't taken him unawares.

"Just a tea, for now, thank you," he said, with his eyes bright, as he looked at me and then turned to Rhonda, who was almost certainly dazzled. She stared at him again and then picked up the menus and moved back to the kitchen, slightly shaking her head.

"The poor thing," I quietly chuckled.

"Why do you say that?" Edward leant forward. I rubbed my thumb against his hand and then let go and leant back in my seat.

"You should know this, but she's probably in the kitchen admonishing herself for eyeing off a guy who she thinks is young enough to be her son," I explained.

Edward's crooked grin appeared and - forget poor Rhonda - I was nearly dazzled.

"You're right."

"Someone once told me that I usually am," I quipped, turning my head to the side.

Edward's expression turned calculating.

"What are you thinking?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Edward chuckled. "Isn't that my line?"

I rolled my eyes. "Even in my world it isn't patented. Come on. I always answer you when you ask me."

"Yes, but you edit," he murmured like a soft jazz number and I was transfixed.

The moment was interrupted when Rhonda quickly placed two teas on the table and then hurried back to the kitchen.

"Yeah, I do," I eventually conceded, "But not that much. Now, why did your eyes turn calculating before?"

I poured some sugar in my cup and Edward appeared to follow suit, keeping a close watch on how much I added.

"Very well, I was wondering if you could tell me what is going through the gentleman's head, over there." He indicated with a gesture similar to the one Michelangelo had painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel – the famous image of Adam reaching for God – to the man over his shoulder sitting by the window. He sat alone stirring what appeared to be coffee and was tiredly scanning a newspaper.

"So, instead of coming up with back stories of people in the diner, you want me to guess their story and then you tell me if I'm correct or not?"

He nodded, adding the same amount of milk and tea to his cup as me.

"All right. Hmm…" I took a sip of my tea and imitated Rodin's thinker. "The guy is enjoying the peace and quiet of the diner. You see, he and his wife have a newborn baby at home and he's been kept up all night by the baby's crying. He has to pick up some groceries, but he left early to grab a coffee." The story sounded plausible to me, but Edward's expression gave nothing away. "How did I do?"

Edward's teasing grin almost made me miss Rhonda placing my pancakes in front of me.

"It is more his wife's snoring that is keeping him awake and he's trying to work out how to tell her, gently." He paused then and looked at me rather bemusedly. "But he does need to remember diapers."

_Crap! You actually did okay!_

"It must be my lucky day," I shrugged, cutting a piece of pancake.

"Perhaps," Edward murmured, but his mannerisms hinted to the fact that he thought otherwise. I let the subject slide as I began to enjoy my pancakes. All the while, Edward continued to watch me, as if I were the object of his study.

"What do you see for yourself in your future?" Edward's rich voice asked, taking me off guard, as I sipped my tea. As I placed the cup down, I really considered my answer.

_What do you see in your future? _

"I don't really know," I admitted, after some time. "I guess that I've always wanted what most people want: to be successful at what I do, get married and start a family. Before I came here, I was thinking about what to do after my science degree."

I brushed a piece of hair behind my ear.

"What were you considering?" Edward asked, pushing his tea towards me.

"Lots of things," I said, widening my eyes. "I had actually considered writing a book, but that's already been done for me, hasn't it?" I remarked. "On top of the list, though, was teaching."

Edward smiled, but it didn't reach all the way to his eyes.

"I can see you teaching. Promise me that you'll make your classes different and interesting?"

"Why, just in case a 105 year old vampire has to masquerade as a student?" I jested.

"Ah, but there are no vampires in your world, remember."

My heart sank at his banter.

Once again, he made me question all of my assumptions and I doubted that I would receive a reprieve from such comments at the Cullens' either.

* * *

**What do you think? What did you make of the dream, or was it a dream?**

**Are you liking Audrey and Edward's conversations?**

**What about how Charlie dealt with the meet and greet?**

**Onto the Cullens' next chapter.**

**I love your feedback and really appreciate it. I do read every review and I will try and get back to you.**

_**Don't hate me, but I started writing a new story. It just wouldn't leave my head. It's called Adrift and it's a Bella/Edward AH. Be warned, it is rated M for language and violence, but I really like what I've done with the first two chapters. I hope that you do too. Check it out on my profile page.**_

_****_**I am hoping to update again at the end of the week, all being well. **

**Best wishes,**

**Karry.**


	32. By the Book

A/N: I apologise for how long it's been. I was overseas in Europe for over a month and then I started my first job after university. Anyhow... where were we?

**Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer and not me. I only dream about her characters. Audrey and Mavis belong to me, though.**

** Copyright karry4harry 2012**

**Page Turner**

**32. By the Book**

I'd been nervous the first time that I'd gone to the Cullens' home. This time was no different. My nerves still had the best of me. As if realising this, Edward's hand moved to gently squeeze mine as we reached the front porch. A momentary stillness settled over me and I was drawn to meet his eyes as a slight smile found form on my face.

"Much better," he grinned in response. "There's no reason to fret, Audrey."

My eyes found focus on the wood grain of the floor as I ducked my head and took a deep breath. The hinted scent of fresh, wet pine, emanating from the forest, however, was not therapeutic enough to ease my concerns.

_They'll look at you differently, Audrey. You treated Edward terribly…_

Before I realised it, a soft touch guided me to soothing eyes. Edward's cool, marble hands cupped my cheeks and I closed my eyes at the intense sensation of comfort. In the new darkness, the touch of his lips on my forehead seemed to be even more potent and my mind was almost numbed of all of my worries. A delicate graze of my cheek compelled me to meet deep amber eyes that seemed to be even more eloquent than most people's words. They told me not to worry. They told me that I was safe. They made me feel like I was a precious commodity.

"No."

Edward's frustrated tone and suddenly furrowed brow surprised me and brought me back to a reality that didn't simply involve us.

I watched, perplexed, as Edward looked towards the front door and rolled his eyes.

"Sorry?" I staggered, my mind being unable to join the dots so quickly.

Edward didn't get time to respond.

The front door opening in a flash and the figure barely framed by the doorway were enough to answer my question and startle me at the same time.

Emmett's strong, boyish face beamed at me smugly. I seemed to automatically mirror Edward's earlier response. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Well, I knew that you had a preference for mountain lions, Edward, but I didn't ever think that you'd resort to bringing home a cougar," Emmett smirked and not-so-subtly winked in my direction.

I felt my face flame, but Emmett's satisfied smirk and the tensing of Edward's features spurred me to take some control.

"Emmett, respect your elders."

He chuckled, before stepping aside and ushering me into the hallway. "It's good to see that the old Darling is back. You…"

"That will do, Emmett." Edward's smooth voice carried over my shoulder as he assisted me to remove my coat. "While I may have no choice in being subjected to your thoughts, Audrey certainly doesn't have to endure them."

"Maybe not here, but just wait until Chemistry tomorrow, Darling," an unfazed Emmett added with a smug grin and another wink.

His positive energy was infectious and it seemed to envelope me in an unanticipated easiness. Things started to feel natural and right – back to normal, even.

_As if your experience here has ever been normal._

It felt normal for Emmett to call me Darling again, even if my brain was still trying to fathom an explanation for Rosalie's acceptance of the term – if she had accepted it at all.

Nevertheless, with my nervousness somewhat alleviated, in no time at all I was contributing to and encouraging Emmett's banter.

"Yeah, in Chemistry, there's nothing to stop you from being in your _element_."

A very satisfied Emmett nodded his head and turned to walk towards the lounge area, all the while sighing, "She's back."

_Yep, I am._

"Is that the _reaction_ that you were hoping for?" A low voice whispered in a cool breath, tickling my ear.

Surprised that Edward had willingly joined in the game, I turned around and slowly brought my hands up to the back of his neck. I began twisting locks of his soft hair around my fingers and grinned as I noticed his eyes darken slightly.

"I could ask you the same thing."

The crooked grin that I loved so much appeared, before Edward's hand moved to brush some hair behind my ear.

"There are some individuals in the next room who think that I'm monopolising you too much," he sighed, reaching for my hand. "Shall we?"

With my heart beating a mile a minute and my insides twisting up into more and more knots at the thought of confronting the Cullens, I took a deep breath before grasping Edward's hand.

"We shall."

Moving forward together, we were instantly greeted by six pairs of searching eyes, but the faces that these eyes belonged to each bore very different expressions.

Emmett and Alice stood behind the loveseat in poses that suggested that they had ended a conversation and Alice, in particular, gave me the impression that she was trying hard not to prance over and give me a hug, as per her instructions. Her pixie smile was like a hug anyhow. It said to me that all was forgiven and an immense feeling of gratitude filled me, transforming my expression and lessening the tension across my shoulders.

Carlisle and Esme sat side by side on a large cream sofa, hand in hand and each was smiling at me warmly. However, Carlisle's gaze seemed to examine me. Likewise, Jasper's expression was also scrutinising from his position in the beige armchair. Whilst he showed a glimmer of a smile, his mask couldn't hide the fact that he was determinedly trying to piece together the puzzle that was Audrey Darling. It was slightly unnerving and intriguing at the same time. Intriguing, also, was Rosalie's presence on the loveseat. I glanced warily at her, not sure of what to make of her stoic expression, which made her look like a high-end fashion store mannequin.

Edward's gentle squeeze of my hand as we moved closer to everyone was a reminder that I was welcome and safe and soon Esme and Carlisle were both standing and greeting me. This time even felt more formal than my last visit and I knew that it was because nobody really knew how to handle the information that I'd recently shared.

"Good morning, Audrey. I hope that you don't mind us having a discussion together?" Carlisle queried while ushering Edward and I to have a seat beside himself and Esme on the sofa. Edward instantly steered me towards the seat beside the arm of the sofa, possibly being considerate of my psychological comfort, but I looked up at him before looking to Esme with a small smile and sitting beside her. Yes, I was nervous, but I felt safe and I tried to ease the thick air when I responded to Carlisle.

"Not at all. To be honest, I would be surprised if you didn't want to talk about things."

With confirmation of a discussion, Alice waved as she perched herself on Jasper's lap and Emmett moved to the loveseat, draping his arm around the shoulders of the still indifferent Rosalie.

"I think that I should start by saying that Edward informed us that you believe that you have somehow been inserted into a novel in which we are the major characters," Carlisle's assured voice explained. "I'm sure that Emmett's earlier… comments would have indicated to you that we are aware that you are from the year 2009."

"Yes," I replied with a pointed look across to a particular occupant of the loveseat, before continuing on sincerely. "Please understand that, until this weekend, I didn't know if being totally honest with all of you was for the best. I mean, I'm only here for a short period of time. It didn't seem right to really let you in."

"And this is where certain questions begin to emerge regarding how you arrived here and why you feel so assured that you will shortly leave," Carlisle continued, calmly.

I hesitated in my response until Edward's thumb encouragingly traced patterns against the back of my palm and I was reminded that he had done as I'd asked and not told anyone about the book.

"The woman, who I'm pretty sure had a part in sending me here, keeps appearing to me in dreams and she came to me when I fainted on my last visit here. She told me that my time with you would practically be determined by the length of the original novel."

A voice that I hadn't expected to hear broke the short silence and commanded mine and everybody else's attention.

"And what was this original novel about? I think that we have a right to know what has been said about us. Are we supposed to believe now that all of your knowledge comes not from these so called dreams, but from this book?"

Rosalie met my eyes determinedly and my chest tightened with each word that her terrifyingly smooth voice spoke. It was almost as if she knew that I didn't want to have to explain it – that doing so would rock my foundations.

And one ounce of knowledge did have the potential to destroy everything that had been built.

_Bella._

"Rose," Edward began, but even I could see in his eyes an eagerness to hear my response. It is hard to respond when your throat has suddenly turned dry, but I squeezed Edward's hand.

"Edward, Rosalie is right," I swallowed, meeting her eyes. "You do have a right to know – all of you do.

"My knowledge of your family is purely from the story and… and it's the story of a girl who comes to Forks and becomes close to your family," I explained, proud of my avoidance of specific details, until I saw Alice's eyes widen with recognition and I remembered her explaining to me what she had seen concerning Edward prior to my arrival.

"Was this girl Chief Swan's daughter, Audrey?" she queried, quietly.

Heat seemed to travel up the back of my neck.

"Yes."

I could almost hear Edward's mind turning over beside me.

"Why did you ask, Alice? Did you see something?" Jasper urged.

Alice nodded, all the while maintaining eye contact with me.

"Yes, before Audrey came, but it was unclear."

Rosalie again spoke up in a voice punctuated with scepticism. "And how does Chief Swan's daughter become close to our family? Surely she doesn't have your fascinating ability to impede powers or come to Forks with knowledge of what we are."

My chest tightened, but I managed to maintain my control.

"No, she doesn't come equipped with knowledge, but she does impede someone's abilities." I turned to Edward. "You can't read her mind."

Edward looked at me as if he was trying with all his might to read mine. I ducked my head, extracted my hand from his and ran it through my hair.

"Chief Swan's daughter, Bella," I breathed, "She becomes close to your family through her interactions with Edward."

Looking up, I saw recognition dawn in everyone's eyes that I chose to meet. I didn't have enough courage to meet the eyes of the person who I cared most about.

Deep chuckles, emulating from Emmett, seemed to shatter the tension surrounding me.

"Most guys want to understand woman and Edward here goes for woman whose minds he can't read."

"But he has had access to Audrey's thoughts," Carlisle added, glancing at Jasper. Jasper responded with a curt nod.

"Edward has been able to hear Audrey's thoughts from what I believe to be her real life experiences. Alice has had visions of Audrey that appear to be linked to her real life experiences and members of her real family, as well and I've recently felt emotions seemingly coming from Audrey that do not appear to reflect her current mood." Jasper's controlled voice reverberated around the room, allowing questions to formulate and I registered Edward shifting beside me, as if he were shocked. Suddenly, Jasper's intense eyes found mine and urged me to question the words that he still carefully concealed.

"What are you suggesting, Jasper?" Esme asked for me.

"Are you saying that you're connecting with another version of me in this world?" I continued.

It wasn't a southern voice that answered.

"He's suggesting that, through you, Audrey, we are connecting with the Audrey Darling existing at this very moment, in 2006." My large eyes met Edward's face.

"But I don't exist in this world," I declared, reflexively.

"All evidence to the contrary," Emmett said, gesturing to me.

I shook my head.

"I'm not talking about me as in the me here right now, I'm referring to the supposition that another me from 2006 exists here. That my family exists here." I hung my head and massaged my temples.

_How can you or your family really exist in a fictional world, Audrey? _

A light buzzing filled my ears and I looked up to see a number of the Cullens' lips moving. As the conversation continued, a number of the Cullens' expressions changed. Brows became furrowed and eyes widened and in the few seconds that I observed, Jasper seemed to be doing most of the talking.

I turned to Edward beside me. I couldn't help but feel as though Jasper had revealed something to him and that he didn't know what to make of it and then there was the fact that he had just been told about Bella. With such recent events, it surprised me that Edward's face was a mask of pure concealment as he stood, never breaking eye contact with Jasper, and extended his hand to me. "Walk with me?" he asked.

Perplexed as to why he felt the need to leave, I remained simply staring at him. There was a mass of confusion and uncertainty, but also an identifiable element of concern behind his eyes that told me not to refuse his request, even though his words reminded me of what he'd said to Bella before he left in New Moon. Even so, I stood and took his hand.

I looked to the Cullens for some sort of reaction, but they remained motionless with tight lipped smiles, as if this abrupt end to the discussion was expected.

"Thank you for your hospitality," I said, not knowing of any other words that, given the situation, seemed appropriate.

The tableau ended with Esme's response.

"You're very welcome, Audrey." Her words, exuding sincerity, could only be answered with a smile.

"Know that we care about you." Alice chimed. Again, I just smiled, all the while wondering what school would be like tomorrow.

I followed Edward's guiding hand into the hall, leaving the tense atmosphere in my wake.

"Where are we going, Edward?"

It was only after Edward had assisted me into my coat and led me outside into the still fresh morning air that he gave me any indication of where we were headed.

"A place where we can talk," he answered.

"Can't we talk here?"

As we walked towards his car he stopped all of a sudden and turned to me with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.

"The rain should stay away for a few more hours," he stated with a hint of trepidation. "How do you feel about coming with me to a place that I like to go?"

When he beckoned towards the forest, a bubble of anticipation rose within me, despite my misgivings surrounding Edward's sudden need to depart his home in order for us to have a conversation.

"Like a meadow?" I asked, trying to gain some clarification.

Edward's smile grew and a subsequent nod of his head coupled with some words provided me with the reassurance that I needed.

"Yes, a meadow."

Adrenalin pulsed through me. I was excited to be going to a place that I'd always wanted to see, but I was nervous, as well, because I knew that something just didn't seem right. Nevertheless, I moved my thumb against the back of Edward's marble hand and looked down at me left wrist.

"Hmmm… so when is the next vampire taxi service due?"

Before I knew it, I was on Edward's strong back, giggling, my chin resting comfortably on his shoulder. I relished his calming scent that was now so much more easily accessible. I wasn't expecting the soft kiss on my cheek, given recent events, but I welcomed it and the warmth blossoming in my chest.

"Hold on," he whispered.

I linked my hands, much like one does before saying a prayer, and I did say I prayer. I prayed that I could hold on to this memory and, despite what my logic was telling me, I prayed that I could hold onto Edward, too.

** What's the verdict? What do you think of Jasper's ideas? What do you think that Edward is going to ask Audrey in the meadow? I hope that you enjoyed the short chapter. I wanted to give you something. Hopefully, if I get a bit of free time, I can write again soon. High school teaching is time consuming, though. Reviews would be like giving me a class of angelic students who want to learn, do what they're told and absolutely see the point in learning mathematics! Sigh... reaching a 1000 reviews is my goal for 2012. Thank you, Page Turners, for sticking with me! All the best and hope that your lives are going splendidly, Karry.**


	33. The Meadow

**A/N: I'm not going to say much, because I know how long some of you have waited for this. Simply, Enjoy!**

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**33. The Meadow**

I could feel myself moving.

I could feel the air gushing past my ears and I could smell the scent of the dank earth and the pines intensifying amidst the undercurrent of honey, vanilla and sandalwood. These scents were foreign to the forest, but not to me. I clung tightly to the cool marble that I could only assume was darting through the trees. Pictures of what was occurring around me flittered in and out of my mind's eye, but I daren't loosen my tightly closed eyelids and chance a glimpse of confirmation. In any case, I didn't need to wait long before I knew that we had stopped.

"Wasn't that exhilarating?"

I opened my eyes to see a beaming Edward staring at me. I couldn't help, but enact on my desire to kiss his smooth forehead. Pulling back, quite conscious to remember Edward's fight for control, I was surprised to see Edward's eyes flicker to my lips. Removing me from his back and steadying me on the ground, he leant in and kissed me slowly and softly and I could feel my insides burning. Cupping my cheek, he pulled back and an obvious look of self-pride overtook his features.

"Now, _that_," I grinned, taking his hand, "_That's_ what I call exhilarating."

Edward stared at me with mirth, before guiding me forward towards a few large trees where dappled light was filtering through. He hesitated as we drew closer to the sunlight and my giddiness took over.

"Don't worry. Haven't you heard that diamonds are a girl's best friend, Edward?"

His grin grew crooked.

"I believe that I might have heard that somewhere before."

I reached for his hand and moved forward.

"Well, best friend, show me how you sparkle."

Even though it was unnecessary, I saw Edward take a deep breath before he followed my lead. I knew that even though I was aware of what was about to happen, Edward was still revealing a side of himself that would blatantly juxtapose our differences. He was revealing something of his makeup to a human for the first time and that was bound to make him nervous. I moved my thumb encouragingly against his stone smooth skin, as he stepped into the light.

It was just like seeing a spider web – you know that it's there, but you can't see it unless the sun rays illuminate it. Immediately, Edward's skin refracted light in every direction and the spectrum of colours danced before my eyes, just like they would when watching the setting sun over the ocean. The many times that I'd been drawn in and had stopped in front of a jeweller's window to stare at the ring that I dreamed of someone presenting to me came to the forefront of my mind. As I stared at Edward, who looked so uncertain, I wanted more than anything to claim him as mine.

I held my breath as I was confronted with how different a world I was truly in. He was otherworldly. They all were. The Cullens' suspicions that I existed in the same world as them simply couldn't be correct.

"You've been lost to your thoughts for a while now," Edward's voice interrupted at the right time. "I usually come here to enjoy the peace and quiet, but, right now, I find that I am not enjoying it at all."

I moved towards him and curiously ran my fingers along his hand, marvelling at the shimmers.

"So you're not tuned in with my other self?"

Edward merely shook his head and continued to watch my fingers.

"Well, what do you think I'm thinking about? You were perceptive enough as a human to have the gift that you have as a vampire."

Edward's eyes found mine.

"A normal person would be freaking out, but I've come to know that you're not normal." He paused, momentarily. "To be honest, Audrey, you have me perplexed."

I exhaled.

"More than anything I was thinking that I just want you to be mine, but, at the same time, I was thinking that you can't be, because, you, this… it's not real in my world. This can't be my world, Edward, despite what Jasper suggests."

Edward seemed to consider my words before he walked further into the meadow. For the first time, I looked at the wide open space. It was a green, secluded haven filled with life, from the tall trees that acted as guards, to the tiny bulbs that threatened to bloom with spring. It was ironic that a creature associated with death only added to its beauty. He sat down on the grass and beckoned me to do the same. Cautious of any dampness, I sat down with my legs folded to the side and immediately began fidgeting with a longer blade of grass, when Edward kept looking at me closely.

"I think that Jasper is correct, Audrey. I think that your teenage self is a part of this world, in Australia. It makes sense, then, that I am hearing her thoughts, that Jasper is feeling her emotions and that Alice is seeing her future – your past – by being in contact with you. While I wasn't aware of it, Jasper went to a legal contact of ours in Seattle and searched into your past and there was the suggestion of some duplicate records."

My chest tightened.

_Jenks. Duplicates? What's going on, Mavis?_

I snapped the blade of grass and threw it to the side, as my brain scrambled to find answers.

"That may make sense, but Edward, how do you explain a novel being written about you in my past and yet, you and others are not aware of it right here and now?"

I looked up and challenged him. My stomach twisted with each second that his golden eyes stared at me, trying to come up with an answer.

"Your presence here has changed things," he eventually stated, stoically. "After all, isn't _Bella_ meant to be the one changing my way of existing, challenging my ways, driving me insane…" - he grazed my cheek – "tempting me?"

My stomach coiled. I swallowed.

"Yes," I breathed and then found my voice. "Boy, does she tempt you."

Edward's gaze turned quizzical and he tilted his head encouraging me to continue.

"Bella's blood - her scent - calls to you more than anyone else's. Her presence always challenges your control."

"Your scent challenges my control and yet you're still here, with me, looking at me without an ounce of fear. Why? You obviously know how Bella's scent tested me and your scent is entirely too enticing for your own good… lily of the valley blended with vanilla," Edward's voice murmured as he closed his eyes. "At any time I can lose my control."

"But you won't," I declared, earnestly. "If you can maintain control around Bella then you will have no problems maintaining control around me. Believe me."

To prove my point, I slowly leaned in, rested my hand on Edward's shoulder and placed a kiss on his forehead. Edward closed his eyes, before reaching for my hand on his shoulder and bringing it down in front of us.

"And believe me when I say that without that book I wouldn't be here _to_ change things," I implored Edward to see my reasoning. Edward peered up at me and then reached inside his coat and extracted his cell phone and placed it in my hand.

"Make the call, Audrey. Put an end to the doubt."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Please."

I couldn't deny Edward. With a tight chest and clumsy fingers, I dialled the number that I had called continually on my trip overseas.

_Just like E.T., Audrey phone home._

Home…

Double checking the number, I handed the phone to Edward.

"You should make the call. If you're right, I could end up conversing with myself."

Edward nodded his head and steadied my hand, putting the call on speaker.

Waiting for the call to connect was nerve-racking and it felt like a whole load of cement had settled in my gut.

I flinched when, instead of a dial tone, a familiar voice emanated from the device.

_**The number that you are trying to reach has been disconnected or is no longer in service.**_

_Mavis!_

I gasped. Edward looked at me with a furrowed brow, after replacing his cell.

"What aren't you telling me, Audrey? Who was that?"

"The woman who sent me here," I responded shakily. "She has control over this whole damn situation."

_What doesn't she want me to know?_

Both of us remained still, trying to come to terms with what had just happened. My breaths came out short and sharp as the reality that I was most probably not truly in this world settled. The tension in Edward's face softened as he took in my distress and he pulled me towards him and sat me on his lap. He ran a hand through my hair and my breathing settled, instantly.

"Even though I argued my point, I was kind of hoping that, for once, you were going to be right," I admitted softly. Edward's crooked grin made a small appearance.

"Me too." He looked off into the distance and moved his hand from my hair to my shoulder. "More than anything, I was hoping that Jasper was correct – that I'd never have to be without you. I was hoping that you'd always, in some form, be a part of my world. My mind keeps trying to convince me that perhaps you still will be."

_No, I won't._

My eyes began to water, but I held the tears at bay.

"What about Bella? You can have her. She belongs here, with you."

If she could bring Edward happiness then I would do everything in my power to see him happy.

My thoughts ceased when Edward placed his finger beneath my chin and steered my eyes towards his.

"The only person who I can imagine being with right now is the one who is already here."

My skin tingled and my heart pounded against my chest, as his velvet voice continued.

"You're the one that I've waited for."

His eyes grew hooded as he brought his mouth to mine and kissed me softly - reverently. Wrapping his arms around me, he lay back against the meadow floor and placed me beside him, letting his left arm support my shoulders. His copper hair stood out brilliantly against the green. Even though he was cold, it was so easy to feel at peace in Edward's arms. I felt him kiss my hair.

"_My_ Darling."

A smile found form on my face and I twisted around, placed my hands on his hard chest and rested my chin against them, so that I could look at his expression.

"Not Emmett's?"

"No," he answered, resolutely, before seeing the humour in my expression, leaning back and placing his hands behind his head. It was the most carefree I had seen him and I loved seeing him that way. I tried to commit every detail of what I saw to memory, knowing that the day would come when I wouldn't be able to look at him like this and he would just be a memory.

"You're so warm," he murmured, closing his eyes. "You have no idea how good this feels – to have you so close, to feel your heart beating where mine should be beating…"

"I think that I might understand," I hummed, closing my eyes. "This, Edward… this feels like home."

I opened my eyes when I felt a cool path being traced along my cheek and heard his smooth tone.

"There has to be a reason why we've been brought together, Audrey. Let's make the most of what we've been given."

I nodded against his chest, understanding exactly what he meant and breathed in his intoxicating scent, as rain drops descended from the sky.

I was startled when Edward moved us from the ground blindingly fast, and I gripped onto to his forearms hard to try and steady myself, as the rain grew heavier.

"When it rains, it pours," I called out against the growing sound of water hitting the surroundings and stopped Edward from lifting me up, no doubt to carry me towards shelter. I can't explain, but the rain made me feel liberated and cleansed. It seemed to offer me a fresh start with Edward and I embraced it. Stepping back and most probably looking like a lunatic, I looked to the sky and spun around, watching the tiny droplets of water being forced down my gravity. Smiling, I turned towards Edward to find him staring at me, but not as if I were a loon. No. Edward looked at me totally differently to how he had at any time before, causing my insides to ignite and the blood to boil beneath my skin.

With deliberate slowness, he brushed wet strands of hair that had fixed themselves to my forehead out of the way.

"So beautiful," he whispered.

Searching me for any hesitation, he inched closer and kissed me with more feeling than he had done before, taking my breath away and making me dizzy.

When I pulled back for air, I squealed embarrassingly, as he picked me up, unexpectedly and clutched me close to his chest.

"You sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet," I quipped, woozily, as he walked us at a human pace towards the shelter of the forest.

Edward chuckled.

"You might want to close your eyes. It's time to rescue you from the rain, again. You're getting to make this a habit, aren't you?"

I raised an unimpressed eyebrow, before finally closing my eyes, knowing that it was for my own good. I welcomed the darkness that heightened my other senses and allowed me to take in Edward's touch and soothing smell. As I felt the air brush past me, images of the meadow flashed before my eyes and I knew that, no matter what happened – no matter if I had a place in this world or not - I would carry with me the memories of the haven in the middle of the forest and the person who had showed it to me.

What I didn't realise was that my memories were to become an increasingly valuable asset more sooner than I'd hoped.

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**So, I'm back and so are Audrey and Edward! **

**What is Mavis up to? Do you think that Edward and the Cullens are right and Mavis is hiding that from them all, or do you think that Mavis has something else planned?**

**Were you surprised at how Edward responded to the topic of Bella?**

**I know that I've been slack in updating, but I still love to read what you think.**

**The main reason for the wait is that I have begun full time employment as a high school teacher and I have barely had any free time. I like to spend a lot of time writing Page Turner, but, alas, I have not had long periods of time to write.**

**Anyhow, I'm back.**

**I will try and update much, much quicker than I have been. **

**Thank you all for sticking with me.**

**Karry.**


	34. Nocturne

**A/N: Happy New Year! I need to thank all the people who have been sending reviews and encouraging me to get this chapter to you. This story will get finished and I hope to make some headway on it in the next few weeks while I am on holidays. Anyhow, enough waiting! I hope that you enjoy the chapter.**

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**Page Turner**

**34. Nocturne**

"What's that smile for?"

Edward's voice carried above the Cullens' piano that was producing beautiful music under the guidance of his fingers. He turned to look at me with a crooked smile of his own as he continued to play Chopin's Nocturne Number One.

"People generally smile when they're happy," I answered, shrugging slightly and my movement caused the piano bench to squeak. The sharp sound, along with the dulcet notes of the piano, seemed to echo around the house, which the rest of the Cullens had vacated in order to hunt. I'd encouraged Edward to go with them, because I knew that he also needed to feed, but, after a glance in Alice's direction and her subsequent nod, he'd been intent on remaining with me, at the piano.

Eventually, Edward finished the beautiful piece and reached for my hand. His own onyx eyes stared at me, trying, with his words, to coax me into elaborating.

"And what has made you happy?"

_What hasn't made me happy this past week?_

It was easy to identify why the week, since the day at the Meadow, had been so wonderful. Sighing, I looked down at our joined hands and guided them towards Edward's line of sight.

"This," I whispered, trying to squeeze Edward's marble hand, "This is what has made me happy."

My heart thrummed in my chest as Edward leaned forward to kiss the back of my hand.

"Yes, spending time together at school has made Varner, Mike and Jessica much more tolerable," I winked.

He grinned as he sat up straighter and, shaking his head amusedly, he brought a cool finger to my warmed cheek.

"I'm not sure if you can appreciate how happy you have made me, Miss Darling."

I raised an eyebrow, which caused a more serious Edward to appear.

"Before I met you, I thought that I understood the world. With my gift and the years that it had aided and agonised me, I thought that I had come to understand people. I'd come to accept that I was bound to a lonely and lifeless existence." Edward's intense expression lightened. "Then you came like my personal sun. You came and put an end to a very long night, challenging all of my preconceived certainties about the world."

A fluttery sensation filled my stomach as Edward's hand cupped my cheek. His rare, darkened eyes looked at me strangely and it unnerved me slightly. If he were human, I would have said that he looked at me as if he were trying to commit every part of me to memory. His tone was more earnest when he spoke again.

"Rarely have I felt so unsure or vulnerable, but the possibility of losing you. . ." - he took an unnecessary breath and took both of my hands in his – ". . . as ironic as it may seem, I don't think that this existence is worth anything without my sun."

My breath hitched. Hearing him talk about my importance to him warmed my being, but, at the same time, his words of loss made me think of something terrible and I found myself gripping Edward's hands all the more tightly.

"And I couldn't survive thinking that you ended your existence because of me." I looked at him firmly as an unsettling feeling travelled through me. "You must promise me not to try and end your existence. You must promise me not to go to Volterra. Promise me, Edward," I urged, franticly.

Edward's gaze turned concerned.

"Why is this so important? Tell me what you know, Audrey."

I hesitated to respond, not knowing if it was right to mention a possible future, but then I began to worry that he wouldn't carry through with the promise if he knew the facts. I closed my eyes and only opened them again when a clear thought parted the rest of the jumbled mess in my head.

"I'll tell you what I know if, and only if, you promise to do everything within your power to stay away from Volterra."

There was a pregnant pause in conversation as Edward's eyes examined me. My heart beat counted out the time it took for him to respond.

"I can promise that, Darling," he soothed, using the nickname that he'd adopted for me, moving his thumb against the back of my hand. I breathed a sigh of relief before he continued.

"Now, please tell me why you asked that of me."

I found myself looking at my lap and taking a few calming breaths as I pondered how to answer.

_Don't give him any inclination that he left Bella because he wanted to protect her. Don't open that Pandora's Box._

"Audrey?"

_I'll never get sick of him saying my name._

Looking up, I met Edward's uneasy expression.

"It comes down to something I read concerning you and your penchant for extreme and dramatic measures." Edward raised an eyebrow and suddenly the words that I'd sought drained out of me at a mile a minute.

"In the story, when you and Bella are apart, you come to believe that she is dead and, because you can't survive without her, you head to Volterra to the Volturi and ask them to end you."

Edward's expression became tauter with every word that I spoke.

"And is that how my story ends?"

I shook my head immediately.

"No. The Volturi refuse to end your existence, because Aro admires your gift." I laughed mirthlessly, "But you don't stop there."

Edward's voice impatiently interrupted the silence.

"I can imagine that I'd try and break the only law that cannot be broken." Edward must have seen the answer in my eyes. It amazed me how he could continue so calmly. "I stepped out from the shadows?"

"Not before Bella and Alice stopped you."

"Go on," Edward urged, eagerly.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

_Have you said too much already?_

"What more is there to say, except that Aro is fascinated by Alice's gift and your relationship with Bella. You manage to make it out of there alive, only because Alice foresees you changing Bella into a vampire and because Bella is immune to Jane and Aro's abilities." I paused and Edward seemed to await more.

_You've told him too much. _

"So, please stick by your promise. Volterra and the Volturi will only lead to trouble for you and your family." I reached for his forearm and spoke determinedly. "When I go, you can't shut down, Edward. You have your family and, if the story is true, then you can have Bella…"

Edward brought a cool finger to my lips.

"No, I can't, because you've changed the story," he breathed. "You're the one who has changed me."

I stared at him, hearing the sincerity in his voice, but, at the same time, the vision of him and Bella that I had always pictured when reading their story came to mind.

Edward's eyes narrowed as they scrutinised me. Much to my surprise, he stood and, ushering me to do the same, led me towards the stairs.

"Where are we going?" I queried.

Edward turned around, wearing a gentle expression.

"That's exactly the question that I hope to answer for you when we reach my room."

I felt my expression change to reflect my confusion and slight nerves, but I continued to follow Edward down the hallway.

Even though I'd been in his room before, I still found myself trying to absorb and examine every little detail. The gold wall colour added richness to the space against the immense greenery of the forest, which was visible through the large, wall size window. I smiled as I glanced from Edward's pile of notebooks to his rows of music records and CDs and, finally, to the forest, realising that this space perfectly combined his two worlds. Edward's comforting scent intensified the further I moved into the space. Every aspect of this room was a glimpse into Edward's person. As he looked at me and guided me to sit on the black leather sofa, I sensed his nerves mirroring my own.

My eyes trailed his blurred movements towards his closet. His glinting eyes fixed on mine as he walked back at a human pace and sat beside me. My heart thumped unevenly as he remained staring at me.

"Well, we're in your room. . ." I prompted with a smile.

"And I need to give you a convincing answer to the many unspoken questions going through your head," he said, smoothly.

My eyes widened and I touched my temple.

"Can you . . .?"

He touched my hand, brought it to my lap and, with a soft smile, shook his head.

"I'm just getting better at reading your expressions."

"Oh, are you, now?" I grinned and raised an eyebrow, tapping my fingers against my lap.

His eyes captivated me as he smirked with pride and indicated to my fingers.

"Even though you're trying to hide it, you're very anxious to know why I brought you up here."

Immediately, I stilled my movements and found myself becoming very conscious of my breathing and Edward's proximity.

"Know-it-all vampire," I grumbled playfully, encouraging Edward's smirk to grow. "Now, what is it that you want me to know?"

Edward's response was to extract a black, flat, rectangular box from behind his back and, as I stared at it, I wondered why I hadn't noticed it earlier and what it contained.

Edward's voice drew my attention away from the mysterious box and commanded me to look at his porcelain face.

"Audrey, I know that you doubt my feelings for you because of your awareness of a relationship that I supposedly have with Bella. I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice. You have it in your mind that Bella and I are meant to be together, because that is the story that you know so well. But I need you to understand and believe me when I say that you are the one for me."

I let out a shuddering breath and swallowed back overwhelming emotions when Edward opened the box to reveal a dainty silvery necklace with a small crystal heart charm that I had seen before in my imagination. My tingling hands subconsciously moved to receive the box from Edward, as my eyes remained fixed on the charm.

"Do you understand where we are going now?" Edward asked and I looked up into his assured eyes.

I found myself shaking my head vehemently and moving the box away from my body.

"But don't you see? You can't know the answer to that, for certain, until you meet Bella. Perhaps I'm meant to be here to prepare you for her."

Edward's gaze and voice turned fiercely intense.

"Weren't you the person to just call me a know-it-all?"

_He has you there._

Edward paused when I didn't challenge him and made certain that my eyes were meeting his.

"Audrey Darling, you are the holder of my heart."

My own heart reverberated in my chest with more force.

Edward intimated to the necklace and gently pushed the box back into my lap.

"Will you accept that?"

I knew that he wasn't just referring to the necklace. Could I accept what he was saying . . . offering? His tone and actions were entirely too sincere for me to doubt his words, despite the conflicting image in my mind of Bella and Edward. Was that a realistic image anymore? Had I truly altered the story?

Looking into Edward's dark, unbending irises I couldn't deny that the path that Edward walked on and the path that I walked on had become one and the same.

"Will you help me put it on?"

I mirrored Edward's crooked grin, with one of my own. With his ebony eyes, I knew why he chose to kiss my forehead before fastening the necklace around my neck. I watched the charm refract the little bit of light that brightened the room.

"It was my Mother's," Edward said, tenderly, near my ear and I turned to face him. "It makes me think of her, seeing you wear it."

I smiled warmly and touched Edward's cheek.

"This will make me think of you." Remembering Edward's words from Eclipse, I continued. "The charm is hard and slightly cold, just like you. It throws rainbows in the sunlight and, even though your heart is just as silent, I believe you when you say that it belongs to me."

He, once again, ran a finger down my warm cheek.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," he remarked.

I chuckled, knowingly.

"No, you couldn't have."

He joined in with my laughter.

"_I love you, Edward Cullen,_" I thought to myself, looking into his eyes and I suddenly didn't fear him knowing it anymore.

I was taken aback when Edward's eyes widened and he stared at me perplexedly.

"What is it?"

"Can you think whatever you just thought again, please?" Edward immediately implored.

Not even pausing to contemplate what was happening, I subconsciously complied.

_I love you, Edward Cullen._

Edward stared at me with what appeared to be wonder.

"What's going on, Edward?" I pressed, still stupidly unaware of what exactly was happening. A smile and some words from Edward soon made me understand.

"I love you, too, Audrey."

I felt my mouth hang agape before everything stilled.

This time, when I touched my temple, Edward nodded.

I decided to test it again.

_Z, Y, X, W. . . _

"I can tell that you're trying to convey something to me, but I can't hear you, Audrey," Edward eventually admitted in a slightly deflated tone.

I sighed and touched the scar beneath my hair.

"I was saying the alphabet backwards. I think that when that goal post split my head open it messed me up in some way or another."

"Because you were trying to say the alphabet backwards or because I can't hear your thoughts?" Edward teased, raising his brow. I crossed my arms against my chest and tilted my head.

"I don't think that an injury to your head has anything to do with it," Edward mused. "I don't understand why I can hear your thoughts selectively, but I'm glad that I do."

"For what it's worth, I'm glad that you heard my thoughts today."

"But not all of the time?"

My expression was answer enough.

"I can always read the book, you know," Edward stirred.

I remained looking unimpressed, knowing that he was seeking a reaction. Thoughts about the book made me slightly melancholy, as memories of this morning came to the forefront of my mind.

"Not for much longer," I murmured, staring ahead and focusing in on the spine of a purple record casing.

Edward steered my eyes to his with a gentle touch.

"How many pages are left?" He queried, sombrely.

"One hundred and ninety, as of this morning."

My chest ached thinking of my impending departure and, at the same time, the thought of going home and seeing the other people I loved warmed me.

_Why does my heart have to choose between two homes? Why can't I have the best of both worlds?_

Edward wrapped his arms around me and drew me close. Edward's touch and his soothing scent invigorated me enough to take away the numbness.

"No moment will be wasted, Darling."

Without warning, I felt Edward sit up straighter and move his head towards his doorway. Extracting myself from his arms, I turned to look there, as well.

A fresh faced Jasper stood there with Alice, who seemed to be in a state of deep concentration.

"Hi, Jasper."

He nodded.

"Audrey. I haven't learned of anything, yet."

Jasper had been intent on proving his theory about the real me existing in the world of the Cullens and had taken it upon himself to search through records with Jenks. Edward had told me that all roads led to the same end that he and I had experienced when we tried to phone my home that day in the meadow. Despite Alice's friendship with me, I still got the impression that Jasper was still suspicious of me. Perhaps that was his nature. Rosalie, on the other hand, looked at me blankly and, for once, I found it very difficult to ascertain a person's motives behind their actions.

Edward's sharp head movement and tone brought me out of my musings.

"When?"

Alice stepped further into the room.

"Tomorrow. Charlie mentioned Saturday afternoon."

My ears perked up.

"Charlie?"

Alice turned to me and for once, addressed me unexcitedly.

"He'll have something to tell you when you get home."

Alice continued quickly and thankfully spared my nerves.

"Bella's visiting, Audrey."

My stomach sunk and, without thinking, I placed my left hand over the heart charm. Edward took hold of my right. I met his concerned eyes and spoke urgently.

"You need to hunt. You need to be prepared to resist her scent."

_You need to be prepared to resist her._

"Audrey's correct," Jasper stated, moving alongside Alice. "You can take precautions this time."

"What do you mean _this time_?" I queried.

Alice's smile returned, as she turned to Edward, who didn't look impressed at whatever she was thinking.

"They had to restrain me the first time I smelled your scent," he admitted, running a hand through his thick hair.

I looked at the circles under Edward's eyes with sympathy.

"Bella's scent will be much more potent than mine. You'll need to do some serious hunting. Maybe you need a weekend hunting trip? Maybe even just avoid being around me until Bella leaves?" I suggested.

Edward gently squeezed my hand and looked upon me with adamant eyes.

"I can survive without a weekend hunting trip, Audrey. And I will not be able to avoid you. As tempting as Bella's scent may be, I already know that I am not strong enough to stay away from you."

My cheeks warmed and my heart rate quickened rather embarrassingly.

"What if we went away? Bella and Charlie can share the weekend together," I pursued, but Alice interjected before I could continue.

"Bella isn't just staying for the weekend, Audrey."

My eyes widened and my mouth dried.

I let go of Edward's hand, stood up and walked towards the glass wall and gazed into the layers of forest. If I was comparing my journey here with that of Dorothy's in the _Wizard of Oz,_ Bella's visit was just another obstacle along the yellow brick road. And just as Dorothy supported her friends on the journey, I had to support Edward and the Cullens, even if it meant losing them and him . . . I touched the heart charm.

_Be strong, Audrey and have faith in him. Trust him like you have always claimed to do. _

Taking a deep breath, I faced the other three occupants of the room, who seemed to be sharing in some form of silent communication. I moved near Edward, who was now standing.

"Tell me what you need to make this easier and I'll do my best to help," I said, touching his forearm.

He offered me a small smile, but it was Alice who spoke.

"Smuggle us an item of Bella's clothing, if you get the opportunity. It will allow Edward to minimally acclimatise to her scent."

I nodded.

"I can do that, but you'll need to give me an opportunity to do so. That means that I don't think that you should see me tomorrow, Edward."

My eyes pleaded with him to agree.

"What Audrey says makes sense." Jasper backed me up and I smiled in appreciation.

Edward seemed to sigh in resignation before looking to Alice.

"Can I do it, Alice?"

Alice's eyes momentarily became unfocused. She turned pensive and then spoke delicately – as if she were almost surprised, herself.

"At the moment you can, but you know better than anyone that things can change."

Edward seemed to raise an eyebrow at Alice's unspoken thoughts and the hidden meaning in her words, before his brow furrowed and his face hardened.

"No. No!" He said in a fervent tone, stepping towards Alice, who was now tucked under Jasper's arm. I stepped back and observed the blur of interactions and muffled conversation.

At one point, Alice's trilling voice pierced my ears.

"It's the one clear thing I've seen that concerns her and you."

Edward was pinching the bridge of his nose when I looked at him again.

"What's clear?" I asked, garnering everyone's attention.

They stared at me for what must have been a long time for vampires.

"Well?" I prodded.

Edward moved towards me and answered in a scarily gentle voice.

"Nothing is clear where the future is concerned, Audrey. As Alice said, things change." He glanced over his shoulder in her direction. "And we don't need to concern ourselves with things that will not be allowed to happen."

"Edward?" I breathed with unease, suddenly feeling a bit like a child being reprimanded.

He bent down and allowed his cool lips to linger against my forehead, but, instead of soothing me, it only served to intensify my worry. He caressed my cheek with his thumb as he stood up straighter.

"I need to hunt. I'm going to go and join up with the others, if you don't mind Alice taking you home," he breathed.

"That's fine. Just, take care."

He gave me his crooked grin.

"I should be saying that to you. I'll see you on Sunday. Take care of my heart."

With one last kiss of my forehead, he moved towards the door and appeared to murmur something to Alice as he passed. I barely heard it, but I could tell that he'd said something by Alice and Jasper's furtive looks at each other. In a blink he was gone.

"I better drive you home, Audrey," Alice said, appearing undeterred, as she glided towards the door.

As usual, I said my quick goodbyes to Jasper and, with the many questions plaguing my thoughts, it wasn't long before I found myself in Edward's Volvo, being driven home by Alice – who also felt the need for speed.

"What did Edward say to you as he left, Alice?" I asked when we were on the 101, not being able to contain myself any longer.

"I knew that you'd ask," she sighed, seemingly pausing for contemplation. "He wants me to keep certain ideas to myself."

"That doesn't really help me, Alice," I complained. An uncomfortable silence filled the car, until I'd had enough of replaying the earlier conversation and I pursued the topic again.

"I might be able to help. Can't Edward see that I can shed light on a vision of yours about Bella and himself, particularly if it's the only clear one?"

Alice appeared to smile to herself.

"That is true. You can help in that regard, but the vision that I am not to tell you about didn't necessarily concern Bella."

Some of the puzzle pieces fell into place.

"Did it concern me?" I questioned with haste. "You actually had a vision about my future?

Alice remained stoic as she pulled into the driveway behind the cruiser.

"You're smart, Audrey. You can work it out," she winked.

Her cheeky expression morphed and she was soon looking at me with wizened eyes that seemed to be in direct contradiction to her pixie features.

"Believe me, I want to help you understand. After all, you're my friend. But Edward is my brother and really you should ask him about it first. Then, when you've done that, I'd be happy to discuss it more with you."

Although my intrigue continually encouraged me to protest, I accepted what Alice said and nodded my head. I watched her eyes travel to the chain around my neck.

"Edward has been alone for almost a century," she stated, holding me with the power of her golden eyes. "_You've_ changed him for the better, Audrey. Those of us who've known him for a long time can easily see that and it's very rare for those like us to change at all." Alice paused and almost willed me to accept what she was saying. "You do know that we'd do everything within our control to make sure that we don't lose you?"

Her words brought me the small semblance of comfort that I needed.

"Thanks, Alice," I said, leaning in for a hug that she readily provided.

Pulling back she grinned.

"Anytime. Get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow to pick up that piece of clothing."

Stepping out of the car and waving goodbye to Alice, I had a feeling that rest would not come easily. Bella's coming meant that the tide was about to change.

As I made my way to the door, I breathed in the damp air. A light drizzle of rain hit my face and the pastel hues of twilight, once so pretty, only served to remind me that the sun eventually had to give way to the tide-controlling moon.

* * *

**What's the verdict?**

**Would you have been uneasy about Bella's arrival if you were in Audrey's place?**

**Did you like that Edward gave Audrey the heart charm?**

**Why was Edward able to hear some of Audrey's thoughts and not others?**

**What has Alice seen that has upset Edward?**

**I have been slack in replying to reviews because I have been so busy with work, but I do read every single one of them. Two reviews today actually encouraged me to get this chapter finished. Thank you to those who review.**

**Wishing you all the best for 2013. My New Year's Resolutions are to finish this story and reach 1000 reviews. **

**Please help me achieve both,**

**Karry. **


	35. Adjustments

**A/N: Finally another update, right? I hope that you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think.**

**Copyright karry4harry **

* * *

**Page Turner**

**35. Adjustments**

I couldn't sleep.

No matter how much I tried to silence my senses and fall into a state of repose, I just couldn't.

My mind kept filling itself with so many questions that my brain became saturated with doubt – just like, it seemed, the ground outside was, as more and more unceasing rain fell. If that wasn't enough, a space that I had come to call my own now felt more like a hotel room. Even though it was too dark to see how the room had changed, I could feel the changes, like I had my own personal sonar. As it continued to pulse, most noticeable of all of the changes was the absence of one person and the presence of another.

Bella slept soundly in a bed that Charlie and I had squeezed in parallel to mine – a bed that we'd only been able to acquire, at such short notice, because of Alice and Esme's handiwork. I knew that Bella was sleeping soundly because of the merged words softly escaping her lips.

"Too wet," she mumbled, as I sat up in bed and ran my hands through my hair. "Too green."

I turned my head, stared at the girl who had the potential to ruin everything and exhaled, "Too soon."

Pushing the covers back, I slowly stood and moved my feet across the uncomfortably cool floor until I found myself beside the window, glancing out from behind the curtains to the swaying, dripping, bare branches of the tree. Without the impediment of the keyboard, which had been moved to a new position downstairs, it was easier to press my face right up against the glass and scan the night for any signs of Edward. Unconsciously, my fingers moved up and rested against the heart charm that I continued to wear. It had only been a day since I'd seen him, but I felt his absence deeply and my heart couldn't help but go out to him - wherever he was - knowing that he was probably struggling to resist the alluring nature of Bella's scent.

I looked down at my school satchel and retrieved the folded piece of paper that I'd hidden there earlier. Leaning against the wall, I unfolded it to reveal Alice's elegantly playful script.

_**Audrey,**_

_**Bella may find that she is missing a t-shirt that should have found its way into the trash years ago. Even though she will never realise it, I've done her a favor in more ways than one by ridding her of the scraps of fabric and placing them in Edward's possession. **_

_**I felt it best to not make my presence known today, but I'm hopeful that you may find the need to go over a Chemistry assignment with your Biology lab partner tomorrow. **_

_**Stay strong and have faith in him.**_

_**Your friend,**_

_**Alice. **_

I smiled, thinking about Alice's words, and imagined her winking in time with her rather unsubtle hint. Running my fingers through my loose messy hair, I glanced in Bella's direction, recalling how she'd frustratingly searched her bag for her pyjama shirt and then settled for another worn t-shirt. I'd felt sorry for her in that moment, but that was soon overridden by my concern for Edward.

_Why did she have to even come?_

Returning the note to my satchel, a little forcefully, I soon admonished myself for my antagonism towards Bella. I knew the answer to my own question. If Bella wasn't here for Edward (which, despite my wishes, she still very well could be), then she was at least here for Charlie and I could never wish away Charlie's opportunity to spend quality time with his daughter.

…_Even if his daughter doesn't seem to truly appreciate the time that she gets to spend with her father…_

Moving towards my bed and cocooning myself under the covers, I closed my tired eyes, frowned and shook my head as I recalled the moment when Bella and Charlie had arrived back from the airport this afternoon.

-()-()-()-

Returning the roast dinner that I was preparing to the oven, I took a few deep breaths and walked into the hallway, having heard the door open.

"Something smells amazing, Dree," Charlie said, with a soft smile, placing a suitcase and bag on the floor, before searching behind him.

"Let's just hope that it tastes amazing," I responded, placing my hands in my jean pocket to stop my fingers moving towards my necklace, as my eyes caught movement beside Charlie.

As I met her deep brown, doe like eyes and examined her delicate features, the rubber band that had been stretched inside my chest was suddenly released, leaving a sharp sting. She was finally here. Bella looked exactly the same as she did in the pictures adorning Charlie's walls, except she'd matured and it was easy to see why she would be viewed as attractive. She was pretty and she seemed pretty . . . detached, as well.

I took a few steps forward and offered a tentative smile.

"So, we finally meet."

She looked up into my eyes, bit down on her bottom lip and returned my smile.

"A little bit earlier than I imagined, but, yes, here I am," she said softly, in a voice less assured than the one that I'd heard over the phone.

_Why are you here early? _Charlie had mentioned Renee having to move around with Phil, but I still wondered if there was another purpose behind Bella's move to Forks – a place that she had told me that she didn't like.

I watched her as she tucked a strand of her mahogany hair behind her ear. A rosy hue began to cover her pale – but not "Cullen pale" – cheeks, and, once again, my mind was returned to thoughts of him.

I nodded my head at Bella, slowly, fighting against the tension in the air.

"Here you are."

My words were allowed to fade, before Charlie spoke above the backing track of the rain.

"Bells, let's take your things upstairs and get you settled in."

Bella turned and looked at Charlie for the first time since she'd arrived. There was an awkwardness to it that I could only attribute to her not having seen him in a while. Even though I thought that I had pinpointed the reason behind her actions, I still had trouble understanding them.

I gave her a reason to look away from Charlie when I added, "I made space for your things in the left side of the closet and dresser. It was your room first, so feel free to move my stuff around all you want."

"Thanks," she said gently, offering me a smile. Behind her, I saw Charlie look at me with what appeared to be gratitude, before he moved towards the stairs carrying Bella's suitcase. Bella held onto her backpack strap and followed him.

Leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, I watched the minimal exchange between Bella and Charlie as they ascended the stairs. I could see Charlie trying to make eye contact with his daughter, but she was either unaware of it or did little to respond to his attempts. While I had known that, at the beginning of Twilight, Charlie and Bella's relationship had been filled with little knowledge of the other person and dictated to by minimal communication and a trepidation to let the other person in, it was extremely uncomfortable to witness such an interaction. Now that I had been in Bella's place, I knew that it wasn't as hard to interact with Charlie as she was making it look. I could even see him making the effort. His obvious excitement at the prospect of Bella's arrival now seemed to be hidden behind a wall of doubt, much like the one that had built up around me. I wanted to be able to tear down that wall for him, just as much as I wanted my own wall to be torn down.

Sighing, I moved into the kitchen, checked the veggies on the stove and turned the kettle on. Leaning back against the counter, I stared out the window and found myself not just waiting for the kettle to boil. Now that I was alone, I let my hand drift to the heart charm against my chest. Its coolness warmed me and gave me the comfort that his physical presence couldn't currently give me.

_When will you see him? Didn't Alice say that she'd drop in?_

My ponderings were interrupted by Charlie's distinct footfalls. I quickly dropped my hand and turned to him.

"Would you like a coffee, Uncle Chuck?"

Charlie smiled as he took a seat at the table and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Please," he exhaled.

I turned towards the kettle, but he continued speaking as I took out the teabags and coffee.

"Thanks for being welcoming of Bella, Dree. Thanks for helping me out, too."

I didn't respond immediately, but, having finished making the coffee, I moved towards the dining table and placed it in front of Charlie.

"After everything that you've done for me it's the least I can do," I said, sincerely, before moving to extract the milk from the fridge. "Did you want milk, or are you happy with the black?"

"No, I'm good, Kiddo. Black coffee is good."

Charlie seemed very deep in thought as I finished making my tea and took a seat opposite him at the table.

"Are you all right, Uncle Chuck?"

He looked up from the newspaper that he hadn't actually been reading and met my eyes, forcing light to his face.

"I'm fine, Dree. It's just been a big day." He took a sip of his coffee and seemed to mull over the idea of sharing his thoughts with me. I took a sip of my tea and waited, knowing that he needed to have a sounding board.

"You'll show her around and introduce her to people, won't you, Dree?" he eventually said, as if trying to convince himself of the validity of his thoughts. "You'll make Bella feel at home. I want her to be happy here."

I offered the reassurance that I knew Charlie needed, even though I had my apprehensions.

"Of course. She'll feel at home before you know it, Uncle Chuck. Just give her time. It's a big adjustment for her, you know."

_It's a big adjustment for all of us._

I took a sip of my tea as Charlie nodded and seemed to study me.

"If anyone knows, it's you, kiddo."

A hole in my chest that hadn't opened in a while made itself known and my heart was suddenly pining for the family that I'd left behind. Feeling my family's absence made me feel Edward's and the Cullens' absence all the more, even if it had only been a day since I'd seen them.

"Yeah . . ."

_Where are you, Alice?_

From the corner of my eye, I caught movement in the hallway and welcomed the distraction of Bella tentatively entering the kitchen.

"I'm not interrupting you?" she asked, as her eyes took in Charlie and my positions at the table.

"No, I was just about to check on the dinner. Come on in. Would you like something to drink?" I quickly stood up and took my mug towards the kettle.

"Thanks, but I'll wait to have something with dinner," Bella answered, but didn't sit down. "It does smell good, Audrey. Do you usually do the cooking?"

I began to turn off the stove and the oven.

"Yes. When I'm allowed to," I smirked in Charlie's direction. Bella followed my eyes with apparent curiosity.

"What?" Charlie shrugged, standing up and moving to place his empty mug in the sink. "You're allowed to cook anytime that you'd like, young lady. I learned my lesson."

"He didn't trust my culinary skills at first, you see," I said in answer to Bella's intrigued expression.

Charlie came and collected some cutlery for the table.

"I had good reason to be wary. Bella will understand."

Charlie, judging by the freezer still full of fish, was a good fisherman, but his attempt at luring Bella into conversation was not a huge success.

"I do." A hint of a smile crossed her face, before she continued to watch me prepare.

Trying to engage her in some conversation, I asked, "Do you like to cook, Bella?"

She answered as I expected her to.

"Yes. I'd like to help out with the cooking duties, if that's all right."

I smiled.

"Of course." Then remembering the freezer full of fish, I added, "Do you know any good fish recipes?"

-()-()-()-

Conversation at dinner was limited (mainly to fish recipes and locations of items around the house) and when it did flow, it was only because I made an effort to get it flowing. I realised as they ate, that Charlie and Bella were more alike than either of them probably realised. They both kept their thoughts close to their chest and they were both trying to work out how to play their particular role in the separated family, which perplexed me, because Charlie had been a natural father figure to me.

_Was that because you let him be a father figure?_

When Bella and I made our way upstairs to prepare for bed, I was reminded that Bella didn't consciously even recognise Charlie as 'Dad'.

"Charlie likes having you here," she said, pulling some books out of her backpack and placing them on the bedside table. I moved forward and perched myself on the edge of my bed, finding it interesting that that was what she chose to say to me first. Was she uncertain around Charlie because of the familial relationship that he and I had developed?

"He _loves_ having you here. He was very excited after he got off the phone with you yesterday. He's missed you, Bella."

Bella looked at her books contemplatively and bit down on her lip. I followed suit and stared at the spines of the books. I wasn't surprised to see Wuthering Heights and The Complete Works of Jane Austen among them.

"I like what you've done with the room, Audrey," Bella eventually said, glancing around, while taking a few deep breaths. "Have you burned scented candles in here?"

My brow furrowed responsively.

"I don't think so . . . why? Is there an overpowering scent? Does it smell bad?"

"No! There's a subtle scent and it smells wonderful. It's like a combination of vanilla and . . . sandalwood."

As soon as the words left her lips, I knew what she had to be referring to – my favourite perfume.

_Essence of Edward._

"It must be some left over scent from my last shower gel and body lotion," I offered as an explanation, which Bella seemed to accept. "Do you want to shower first?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

I stood up and began pulling back the covers on my bed, as Bella continued to pull clothes out of her suitcase and place them in the cupboard. I took comfort in the fact that I'd thought to conceal _the most important of all books _within my own suitcase, beneath my bed. As I noticed a folded piece of paper beneath my pillow, I couldn't help but reflect on how my roommate had and would continue to impact my story.

_If it even is your story anymore . . ._

-()-()-()-

"Audrey . . . Dree . . ."

Bella's sleepy murmurings startled me awake. Barely opening my eyes, I was surprised to see the smallest hint of light creeping out from behind the curtains.

_You actually got some sleep?!_

Even though I'd managed to sleep, I didn't feel refreshed. Rubbing my eyes, I pushed myself to sit up and looked to my right checking to see if Bella was still in the land of nod. Whether she'd stayed asleep all night or not, it appeared as though she currently was.

Taking a few cleansing breaths, I decided to face the day and organise it in a way so that I could carry out Alice's plan.

After quietly getting changed and cleaning off the grime of minimal sleep in the bathroom, I headed downstairs to find Charlie already awake and in the kitchen, pouring himself his ritualistic coffee.

"Morning," I chirped, heading for the cereal and milk.

"Morning, Kiddo," he replied, before moving towards the table and really having a look at me. "Did you manage to get some sleep, Dree?"

I leant against the kitchen counter as I chewed my raisin bran.

"Some," I answered, after I swallowed.

"Does she still talk in her sleep?"

_So Charlie is aware of it._

"Yes, but I don't think that was the main reason for my not being able to sleep as easily." Seeing that I had Charlie's interest, I began to plant some seeds. "Before I knew that Bella was coming, I'd planned to go to the Cullens' this weekend and get some work done, particularly some work on a chemistry assignment. I guess I'm just worried that time is slipping away from me . . ."

Charlie held up his hand to stop me from continuing and appeared to eye me with concern.

"Why didn't you say something, Dree? You helped me out a lot yesterday and I'm grateful for that, but I don't want you falling behind in your school work and feeling stressed about it." He exhaled, apparently having no reason to question my sincerity, which kind of made me feel guilty. "Are you able to work at the Cullens' today?"

I nodded.

"They assured me that anytime this weekend would be fine."

Charlie absorbed that statement and seemed to mull over another possibility.

"I wonder if they'd mind having another guest."

My eyes widened, but, thankfully, Charlie didn't see, as his attention was acquired by the ringing of the telephone.

"Chief Swan. . . Billy! How are you?"

I listened to Charlie's responses in between finishing my cereal.

"Yeah . . . that would be good. . . Bella and Jacob can get reacquainted."

His eyes found mind as he continued to answer Billy.

"No, she'll be out, so you might have to live with pizza."

Charlie frowned at whatever Billy was saying to him on the other end of the line and I suspected that it had something to do with him assuming that I was spending time with the Cullens.

"I've heard your opinion before, Billy and mine hasn't changed. But I'll be seeing you around lunch in time for the game . . . Okay? . . Bye."

"Billy and Jake are coming over to watch the basketball, are they?" I asked as Charlie hung up the phone.

"Yeah, but I think that they were initially coming over to sample your food and welcome Bella. Now they're just coming for Bella and the basketball." He grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was hoping that you could introduce Bella to the Cullens, but she'll get to meet them tomorrow, I guess."

"Yeah, she will," I agreed, rather happy that Charlie and Billy had unknowingly solved a potential problem for me. The last place that Bella needed to be right now was where I was headed.

"Take care today, Dree," Charlie said with care, granting me permission, but at the same time making me think that Billy's words might have gotten to him.

"I always do," I answered, sincerely. "I'll try to be home for dinner."

Charlie nodded and returned to sipping his coffee.

Eager to see Edward, I raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time, forgetting the possibility of someone moving in the corridor at the top of the stairs. Danger magnet that she was, if I'd looked up any later, I would have crashed into Bella and would probably have been the cause of her first visit to the emergency department at Fork's hospital. Having satisfactorily avoided a collision and steadying my feet, I spoke quickly to a wide eyed, but tired looking, Bella, as I moved into _our_ room.

"Sorry."

I could feel her eyes on me as I picked up my satchel and car keys from the area near the desk.

"You're in a hurry to get somewhere." She stated the obvious.

Turning around, I told Bella what I'd told Charlie – a version of the truth.

"Yeah, I'm going over to my lab partner's house to work on a chemistry assignment. Time is against us. We'd have worked here, but Billy and Jake are coming over to see you and watch the basketball. Apparently you went fishing with Billy and made mud pies with Jake when you were younger."

"Well, that would explain why I don't remember them, then." Bella's brow furrowed in concentration as she seemingly tried to access a distant memory.

"So fishing isn't a favourite past time of yours, then?" I jested, moving to stand beside her.

She simply grinned. I decided to do some prompting.

"Charlie's downstairs in the kitchen. He likes to talk over a cup of coffee."

Bella seemed to eye me knowingly.

"You care about him a lot, don't you?"

A realisation dawned on me at her words and my chest warmed.

"Yeah, I do and I know that you do, too. Now he has both of us to look out for him."

Bella looked at me with collegiality.

"He does. I hope that the assignment work goes well."

I nodded and continued to move towards the door, without being able to contain my exuberance – a mood not normally associated with school work. If I wasn't careful, I'd give myself away.

"I do, too. Enjoy the vacant room and rest up. I'll see you later."

Jogging down the stairs, I hurriedly put on my shoes and coat before making it to the car. With only the sound of the engine and the windscreen wipers as my companions, I was able to think more clearly and was free to verbalise my thoughts.

"I hope that you're okay, Edward. I hope that you can maintain your control."

It was then that I realised that Bella would be safer with me out of her immediate vicinity. It would give Alice a greater ability to see her and watch over her. Then again, hadn't Alice said something about seeing my future the other night – something that Edward was so adamant about me not knowing? Thinking about it more closely, my mind could see the connection between the ways Edward had behaved around me the other evening to the way that Edward had responded to the prospect of Bella being changed. Had Alice seen me as one of them? The idea of that terrified me, but invigorated me at the same time. Tingles centred themselves on my heart and it was suddenly much harder to breathe.

_Perhaps you're reading too much into this Audrey . . . Perhaps you're jumping to conclusions._

Trying to suppress my ideas of what Alice had seen, I focused, instead, on how Edward had acted towards me and I realised that I didn't like it. Instead of allowing me to be a part of a partnership, he was shutting me out – deciding what was right for me to know or be unaware of in a very patronising way. Didn't his actions contradict everything that he'd asked of me when he'd learned that I was keeping secrets?

_Then again, you have kept secrets from him because you thought that it was in his best interests, haven't you? _

With Chaos Theory alive in my head, I almost missed the turn off to the Cullens' drive. Following the lane encased in the trees always made me feel as though I was in another world. Pulling the car to a stop and turning off the engine, I was surprised to only see Alice greeting me, dressed in black jeans and a lacy purple top that caught my eye.

"Don't move forward too quickly," she said in a warning tone, as I retrieved my satchel (which was rather redundant) and got out of the car.

I hesitated, but did as she asked, trusting that there was a valid reason behind her words.

She moved closer to me, without meeting my eyes, at what must have been an agonisingly slow pace, until she was about two feet away.

"What is it, Alice?" I questioned as I finally met her amber irises and unusually stoic expression.

"There's a hint of Bella's scent on you and Edward doesn't want to compromise your safety." As Alice spoke to me, I could feel Edward's gaze on me and I looked up towards the top storey of the house where I somehow knew that he would be. Sure enough, he was looking out of one of the windows in Carlisle's study and, even with my weak human eyes, I could see his struggle.

_You won't hurt me, Edward._

He stood up straighter and I knew that he'd heard my thoughts.

"I trust you. I know that you can do this." I swallowed before speaking the words that went against everything that my heart desired. "But, if you want me to leave . . . I'll leave."

A blink of my eyes was all that it took for Edward to disappear from the upstairs window. I continued to seek him out until Alice's gentle touch garnered my attention.

"He's in the living room," she said softly, with a smile to match her tone, before ushering me to follow her inside. "Good job at following my instructions _to the letter_, by the way."

I removed my coat and shoes by the door and, leaving my satchel behind, took a deep breath before walking further up the hall and turning into the living room.

Edward wasn't alone. He stood, like a statue, in the centre of the room flanked by Jasper and Emmett. Alice, I soon realised, had moved to stand beside me. I found myself mirroring everyone else's behaviour. I stood frozen in my place waiting for someone else to make a move.

Edward's bright topaz eyes held me as he slowly began to move forward. Though I tried to calm my pulse, it, too, increased with his proximity. He looked at me with determination, before letting his chest rise and fall. His jaw tensed as he stood looking at me intensely for what felt like minutes, before he finally closed the gap between us and cupped my cheek with his cool hand. I was warmed instantly.

"I hope that you can understand that I can never take enough precautions when it comes to your safety, Audrey," he breathed. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed the other occupants of the room disperse. "I care for you too much."

Ever so carefully, I lifted my hand and placed it over his hand against my cheek.

"I know and I understand, because I care for you, too."

"Which is more than I'll ever deserve . . ."

I continued, speaking over the top of him.

"_Which_ is why I have to ask if my being here is causing you pain?"

Edward closed his eyes for a breath second, before smiling and, interlocking our fingers, lowered both of our hands.

"I would welcome a slight burn in the back of my throat any day if it meant that I wouldn't have to experience the torment of being without you."

A current flowed from his fingers to mine as he stared at me, making me believe the truth behind every word. His expression changed to one of concern when he guided me to sit down on the nearest lounge and traced what I knew must be the dark circles beneath my eyes.

"I don't do so well when we're apart either," I offered as way of an explanation.

He raised an eyebrow, prodding me to elaborate.

"I had trouble sleeping. I guess that I just had too much on my mind – too many changes to adjust to."

"I had trouble sleeping too," Edward jested and I raised my brow prior to nudging his shoulder – which he, thankfully, anticipated, so that I wouldn't feel like I was running into a boulder.

"Has Bella's arrival unsettled you that much?" he questioned more seriously, carefully draping his arm across my shoulders and pulling me closer to him. "I thought that I made things clearer for you on Friday evening."

_And there's your opening. . ._

"Yes, you did make some things quite clear." I fingered the necklace against my neck. "Most of them I liked, but . . ."

"But?"

"But there was thing that you made clear that I didn't appreciate."

Edward removed his arm from my shoulder and turned around on the lounge so that his questioning expression met my eyes with full force. Knowing that his peering eyes were waiting for me to continue, I mustered up the courage to say what I needed to say.

"You insist on keeping me in the dark when it comes to Alice's vision," I breathed, before thickening my tone. "I don't want to be sheltered, Edward. I want you to see me as an equal – someone who you can share things with, no matter how difficult they are to hear."

I reached for Edward's hand.

"Please be honest with me. How can you expect me to be honest with you if you're keeping secrets from me?"

Edward didn't move, but eyed me with consideration for some time. My mouth began to dry, but I moistened it when I saw Edward pinch the bridge of his nose and slump his head in what appeared to be resignation.

"Audrey, please know that everything that I do is done with your best interests at heart. I only want to protect you. . ."

"But there's a difference between protecting and sheltering, Edward. How am I supposed to protect myself from something if I'm ignorant to it?" I implored.

In that moment, the eyes of a man much older than his appearance suggested – a man firm in his beliefs - conceded to my reasoning. His apprehension and struggle, though, was made evident in the tenure of his voice.

"Alice has continued to see you as . . . as one of us, Audrey," he sighed.

My chest hardened.

"I was only made privy to what she'd seen on Friday, hence my response." Edward reached for my hand and commanded my attention.

"I don't want this existence for you, Audrey. I will do everything within my power to make sure that the future that Alice has seen never comes to fruition," he said with conviction.

A shiver travelled down my spine as I considered the possibility of Alice's vision coming true. I crushed any thoughts that tried to take the face that I knew to be my own and transform it into and enhanced version.

_It couldn't even be possible, could it? My time in the world of Twilight is drawing closer to an end, page by page. Yet Alice is seeing me as an immortal?_

"What are you thinking?" Edward's voice drew me back to the present.

I let out an unsteady breath.

"I don't understand it at all, but what if Alice's vision holds the answer?"

"To what question?"

I looked down at our joined hands as the idea cemented in my head.

"If I do leave, am I meant to come back?"

* * *

**What's your answer to Audrey's question? **

**Do you think that there's more to Bella's arrival?**

**What did you think of Bella? How do you think she will react to Audrey and Edward?**

**Thank you continued support of this story. My goal is to finish this story by the end of the year and reach 1000 reviews. Please help me to achieve these goals.**

**Now, it's really past my bedtime, but I had to get this chapter to you.**

**All the best,**

**Karry.**


	36. Face Off

**A/N: It's been a long time, I know, but I now can give you chapter 36. I've stayed up way to late to get this finished and I know that I will suffer for it tomorrow, but I just had to get this to you. I do hope that you enjoy it. **

* * *

_**Recap**:_

_ "What are you thinking?" Edward's voice drew me back to the present._

_I let out an unsteady breath._

_"I don't understand it at all, but what if Alice's vision holds the answer?"_

_"To what question?"_

_I looked down at our joined hands as the idea cemented in my head._

_"If I do leave, am I meant to come back?"_

* * *

**36. Face Off**

"I thought that I was the resident mind reader, Carlisle."

Edward's strangely weary voice seemed to crescendo to my ears, drawing me out of what I slowly recognised as sleep.

_When did you fall asleep?_

"It's not difficult to read thoughts that are clearly written across your face, Edward."

Even though my eyes remained closed, I could visualise Edward running a hand through his hair just before sighing his reply to some of Carlisle's unspoken thoughts.

"You may have forgiven my transgressions, but I don't think that a higher power has . . . or ever will."

My ears picked up nothing besides the sound of my own steady breathing for a few seconds. It was then that my other senses placed where I was. The weight of what seemed like a blanket cocooned me into what felt like the leather lounge in Edward's room.

_Yes, it smells like him. He must have brought you upstairs when you fell asleep._

"Fate brought her to me, knowing that she was all I ever needed and wanted, to tease and torture me, Carlisle . . . because, what fate has given, fate will soon take away."

Edward's pained voice hit my being like a chilled gust of wind.

Carlisle's voice soon punctured the cold void.

"And yet Alice's visions suggest otherwise."

"So, instead of losing Audrey entirely, I'm just going to let her lose her humanity – lose her s. . ." To my ears, Edward seemed to stop himself, before lowering his tone, fiercely. "I won't let that happen."

"It might not be your choice."

It was then that I remembered when I'd fallen asleep.

-()-()-()-

_"If I do leave, am I meant to come back?"_

I paused as another thought grew from a whisper into a reverberating siren, so much so that I needed to vocalise it.

"What if . . . what if becoming like you would mean that I never had to leave?"

Edward placed a finger beneath my chin and guided my eyes up to meet his.

"Darling, I never want to think of you not being with me, but, if returning here means giving up your humanity, I wouldn't want you to come back. And, if staying here means giving up your humanity. . ."

I continued to stare at Edward until the meaning of his words, spoken and unspoken, became devastatingly clear to me. In that moment, scarce thought was given to the notion of losing my humanity and all that it entailed. Instead, a terrible empty hole expanded in my stomach and crept up into my chest, and I wondered whether he truly valued my being human more than us being together.

I pulled myself back on the couch and watched Edward's brow furrow.

"And what if you can't play God and be my almighty protector?" I challenged, passionately. "What if one day I walked up to you with red eyes and porcelain skin?" I touched the necklace against my chest. "Would this be meaningless?"

Edward shook his head almost angrily before quickly moving forward to hold my face in his icy hands. Shocked, my heart pounded loudly against my chest.

"_Never_ . . . Never will it be meaningless, Audrey," his voice came out softly, but fervently. Removing his hands from my face, he brushed a wayward piece of hair behind my ear, before moving to hold my hands. "I love you and that _won't_ change . . . and it's because I love you that I wouldn't wish this existence" – he intimated to himself – "upon you."

"Even if we could exist together?"

Edward closed his eyes and seemed to fight against an immediate response. Instead, he chose to contemplate his words carefully.

Finally, he looked down at me with melancholy eyes.

"Audrey . . ."

He was torn.

I brought a hand to his cheek.

"Tell me what you're thinking," I prodded.

He remained like a perfectly crafted statue for a time and then brought his marble form to life with a sigh. Wrapping his arms around me, he drew me closer.

"I'm considering the selfish notion of being able to hold you like this forever, without you growing cold," - I felt his lips touch my forehead - "to kiss you without restraint."

I shivered, but not from his cold touch. His mistook the reason behind my response and, much to my sadness, put distance between us, before examining me with a dour expression and speaking with a tone so compelling.

"I'm thinking of everything that I would gain and everything that _you_ would lose. I'm thinking of how selfish it would be for me to hope for an eternity with you when that would only see you torn away from your family."

The empty feeling that filled my chest earlier expanded further. My heart panged at the thought of losing my family entirely. How much I had already missed them quickly moved back into my conscious thought.

Edward's action of reaching for my hand was settling and showed that he must have known that his words had struck a nerve. He searched my eyes before he continued.

"And, as much as you love me and I you, it might not be enough to stem the anguish when you realise what you are truly capable of as a soulless monster."

Hearing those words flicked a switch within me and my immediate response, as a charge moved through me, was to grip his hand as hard as I could.

_Can you get him to re-examine his hard-formed beliefs?_

Swallowing to find my voice, I realised that I had to try.

"Do you love me, Edward Cullen?"

Seemingly taken aback by my question, Edward raised a puzzled eyebrow. When I remained staring at him silently, he relented in providing me with an answer that he appeared to think quite obvious.

"Yes, you know that I do."

"You're sure?"

Edward looked at me rather aghast, before answering swiftly in a startlingly gentle volume.

"Of course! What more do I need to say to convince you? Why do you continue to question me, Audrey?"

My heart aching with the doubt trickling through Edward's tone, I made my point.

"How can a soulless being be capable of love? How can you love without a soul?"

Edward stilled and his expression turned stoic as my words were absorbed.

"I _know_ that you love me," I continued, with a small smile, as I rested my hand on Edward's, causing him suddenly stare at me in a different light. The confirmation of that statement in his eyes rendered me speechless for a moment, until I found need to breathe. "Which is why _I_ know that you have a soul . . . a soul that I love."

With the heat rising in my cheeks, I carefully moved to rest my head against Edward's shoulder, too overwhelmed by the rollercoaster of emotions looping backwards and forwards in my chest, to face his expression. The chill of his still and silent body permeated his shirt, soon cooling my cheek, and I found comfort and greater courage as his scent enveloped me, reminding me of words that I'd once heard.

"Besides all that, you are my friend, Edward . . . and _what is a friend_?"

Edward's arm was quickly wrapped around my back, and his hand, now resting on my shoulder, drew me closer into his side.

"_A single soul dwelling in two bodies,_" his quoted reply – the answer that he knew I wanted - softly met my ears, before I glanced up to smile at him, warmed by the increased vibrations of my heart.

"Even if you still can't recognise that you have a soul, I'm very willing to share some of mine."

My eyes closed and I sighed, as I registered the touch of Edward's fingers moving languidly up and down my arm and his lips lingering against my hair. My very tired eyes had been forced into staying open for far too long. I didn't try and fight my tiredness. I didn't let any of my worries permeate my thoughts. I was suddenly content just to be in Edward's embrace, resting my entire body against him, knowing that my words _might_ have had an impact in changing his steadfast views.

The soft reverberations of Edward's chest from the mellow sounds of his voice were the only things that delayed me giving into the slumber that my mind craved.

"_I looked for my soul but my soul I could not see. I looked for my God but my God eluded me. I looked for a friend and then I found all three."_

Swallowing back the tightness that had constricted my throat at his words, I managed to find my voice.

"That wasn't Aristotle, was it?"

"No. Blake."

"Hmmm. . . Blake," I murmured, knowing a veil was descending over my thoughts.

"Sleep, Audrey," Edward's voice whispered against my ear.

I listened.

-()-()-()-

I still found myself listening to Edward's voice.

"Audrey has already told me that I can't play God, Carlisle."

"And yet that won't stop you from continuing to try," I interrupted, in a soft voice bearing the remnants of sleep, unable to keep silent any longer.

Opening my eyes and sitting up, I was immediately startled by Edward's proximity and could only stare unabashedly at his raised eyebrow. I glanced behind him and soon realised that we were alone.

"How long did I sleep?" I asked as I rolled my shoulders and gained pleasure in feeling them crack.

"Nearly four hours."

My brow raised reflexively and I ran a hand through my untamed hair.

"Wow. . ."

"You needed it, Audrey," he said with care, though his face wore an unnatural, expressionless mask.

I didn't like it and immediately set about to have it rectified.

Softly smiling, I leaned forward and whispered, "Yeah . . . You loving a human is one thing, but being in love with a zombie. . . We couldn't have that now, could we?"

My happiness blossomed with the hint of a crooked grin gracing Edward's face, which was all the encouragement that I needed to continue.

"Forget the hair, but has my sleep made me appear a little more alive and less like a brainless creature of the night?"

There was a spark of mischief behind Edward's eyes when he moved to whisper in my ear.

"You didn't look anything like Emmett in your sleep deprived state, so you certainly don't look any less like him now."

Moving back quickly, his mirthful eyes were my sole focus.

"Edward Cullen!" I scolded, jokingly, like a parent would their child. "That's my lab partner you're calling brainless."

He took me by surprise again, leaning forward so that our foreheads were almost touching.

"He should be lucky to have you as a lab partner, then," he breathed, inching even closer. My stomach tightened. "I know that I am."

With his apprehension to even approach me earlier, I wasn't prepared when he closed the gap between us and kissed me. His cool, but warming touch soon had me fully awake and aware of how aspects of him consumed every one of my senses . . . until they didn't.

"Well, I didn't think you had it in you . . ."

Heat rushed to my ears immediately as I stilled.

"Don't let me disturb you."

Edward's face wore his frustration as he pulled away, still staring at me with darkened eyes, and I answered the amused voice that we both knew all too well.

"Consider us disturbed," I grinned and carried on in a tone tinged with sarcasm. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company, Emmett?"

He smirked, but didn't move in from the doorway.

"I just wanted to let you know that your _brainless_ lab partner has ensured that your guise for visiting today is credible. He has somehow managed to complete the chemistry assignment that is supposedly due tomorrow without any assistance."

"That's very kind of him. Please let him know that I really appreciate it."

"I will," he replied, quickly, with a smirk and, from the corner of my eye, I noticed Edward's jaw tighten. "You're very much in his thoughts," Emmett chortled, as he left. My brow furrowed as I contemplated what message he must have conveyed voicelessly to Edward.

I reached for Edward's hand.

"Okay, you've seriously got to tell me what he was thinking."

He didn't answer immediately, but, after carefully looking at me for a few moments, he seemed to discern that I would be persistent in my enquiries.

He answered with a sigh.

"I'll be sparing you by only mentioning this." He ran a hand through his hair. "He was reminding me that it's with him that you have Chemistry."

I couldn't help but chuckle.

_Emmett and his play on words . . ._

Even though his face was less taut and there was a hint of a smile in his eyes, it was easy to recognise that Edward did not find his brother's words as amusing as I did. I brought my hand up to brush it against his cheek.

"Hmm . . . but I'm _bonded _to you in an entirely different way." I smirked as I moved my hand to his shoulder and down his arm, until I could lace my fingers with his. "Never doubt that."

Meeting Edward's darkened eyes, I was left with little doubt that my words had affected him. He moved closer to me, almost hungrily, but then quickly pulled back, as if remembering himself. Nevertheless, my breath caught in my throat as he raised our joined hands and placed a lingering kiss across my knuckles.

"It's too easy to be myself with you," he seemed to say more to himself than to me.

"That's how it should be."

He moved his thumb in circles against my hand and smiled in a way that didn't convey happiness.

"It is how it should be, but it's not how it _can_ be, Audrey. I can't forget what I am when I'm with you. I can't be made to forget what I am around other humans. It would be too dangerous . . . I'd never forgive myself if I hurt you . . . directly or indirectly."

No more needed to be said for me to know that he was referring to the situation with Bella.

_And you have your own ideas when it comes to that._

"Edward," I began, after pausing to think out the right words. "I have faith in you. I know that you can overcome this. Trust yourself to confront temptation and walk away having not succumbed."

Edward scoffed and shook his head.

"But don't you see, Darling? I _can't_ trust myself to walk away from temptation. You were entirely too tempting and I did succumb – I still can't walk away."

"I wouldn't want you to . . . and, if I recall correctly, I tried to stay away from you and, quite obviously, ended up failing miserably," I grinned. "But I can't regret it."

"Neither can I."

The way that Edward looked at me made me feel as though my insides were being consumed by a deep, inescapable pit.

I steadied my breathing.

"Then we're stuck with each other, for however short or long that may be."

Edward bowed his head in what I knew was agreement, never removing his eyes from mine.

"And you will be stuck with me when you face Bella . . . which I think you should do this evening rather than in a car park filled with hundreds of inquisitive teenagers."

He closed his eyes gravely, as if trying to resist his urge to run. When his topaz eyes met mine, I knew that he was decided.

"Then we'll need to talk with my family."

-()-()-()-

The tension in my body diminished somewhat when I pulled up to the house and saw that the cruiser was the only car out the front. The absence of the Black's vehicle was an answer to one of many prayers that I'd said as I'd left the Cullens' and driven down the 101.

My thoughts had been solely concerned on the driver of the Silver Volvo, which had followed me home and was now parked behind me. Removing myself and my satchel from the car, I offered a smile of encouragement, as Emmett, Jasper and Alice moved to stand by his door. I noticed his body tense before he opened the door, removed himself from the safety net of the car and slowly walked towards me, surreptitiously flanked by his adoptive siblings.

"I wasn't too frustratingly slow, was I?"

Edward's lips twitched briefly at my question, defacing his mask of concentration.

"We are talking about your driving, aren't we?" Emmett quipped. "Because I'd hate to think that my brainlessness is catching."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, before stopping at the base of the stairs in front of the door and turning towards the small crowd behind me.

"Ready?" I whispered.

When Edward slowly nodded, I reached for the pendant against my chest, beneath my coat. His eyes smiled in recognition of my gesture.

I breathed in the enlivening, cool evening air before placing my key in the door and opening it.

"Is that you, Dree?" Charlie's voice called out above the ESPN commentators, as I moved into the hall and removed my coat.

"Yes, Uncle Chuck," I called back. "And I've dragged some guests in with me."

The background noise of the TV immediately weakened and Charlie was soon near me to witness the Cullens move further into the hall after removing their superfluous coats. I watched Edward carefully and noticed the rigidity of his stance and his tightened fists. I met his eyes sympathetically.

"You were so much trouble that you needed a small squadron to escort you home, ha?" Charlie teased, drawing my attention, before greeting the Cullens pleasingly. "How are you all?"

"Well, Sir," Alice sang, remaining close to Edward. "Although Edward has had a slight headache."

_Cleverly put, Alice. _

"Audrey was telling us that there's someone you'd like us to meet."

Edward's wide eyes glaring over my shoulder in the direction of the stairs, alerted me to Bella's proximity and I turned around just in time to see her bare feet initially peak out from behind the stair bannisters.

Compelled by my heart and certainly not by my head, my hand slowly reached out to touch Edward's clenched fist. My breath caught in my throat and I froze when his head snapped quickly to his left, allowing his tense eyes to fix on mine. Spurred on by an undiscernible force, I moved my thumb back and forth against his stony skin.

_You can do this, Edward._

A measured blink assured me that he'd heard my unspoken words, before he turned his focus back to the stairs. When he didn't move his hand away from mine, I was startled once again.

"Yeah . . ." Charlie drew out, noticing my nearness to Edward and outwardly eyeing it awkwardly before holding my eyes briefly and then continuing his train of thought. "It's nice of you to take the time to come over and meet her before school tomorrow. Bells?" Charlie's voice called.

More aware of my present surroundings, I realised that Emmett and Jasper had moved directly behind me and Edward. I glanced back at them. Sensing Jasper's disapprobation of my most recent actions, my countenance turned apologetic, but, as compelling as his stare was as Bella came more into view, I couldn't bring myself to sever my connection to Edward.

I found myself holding my breath as Bella reached the bottom of the stairs and locked eyes with the Cullens for the first time. A split second was all it took for her eyes to widen and for her whole body to turn rigid. Her face wore an expression that I couldn't understand. Immediately, I focussed my attention to Edward, whose fist clenched even tighter beneath my hand. His narrowed eyes were peering at Bella and I pondered whether he was motivated by trying to understand her reaction or by a thirst for her blood.

_He's resisted the temptation so far._

When Charlie moved to stand next to Bella, after looking at her a bit perplexedly himself, I took a much needed breath. The soft sound and quick movement that eventuated was enough to remind Bella of my presence. Her eyes drifted from Edward's face to his hand encased in mine and finally upward to my face, staring at me in a way that unexplainably unsettled me, before inspecting the rest of the Cullens.

_You can understand being unnerved by the Cullens and their beauty, but still, why did she stare at you that way, Audrey? Something is different. _

Charlie drew me out of my ponderings.

"Bella, these are the Cullens. Guys, this is my daughter, Bella."

Charlie inclined his eyes towards me and the others. Intuitively, I knew that he was asking me to take the lead.

"Yeah . . . Bella, this is Alice." Alice smiled and waved in a manner that was captivating and ethereal. It didn't take long for Bella to respond with a tweak of her lips. I glimpsed over my shoulder. "This is Jasper." He merely nodded and Bella quickly responded similarly, the small smile that had graced her face with Alice diminishing even more as she moved from Jasper to Emmett. "Emmett here is my Chem. lab partner." He winked in her direction, eradicating any intimidation from her expression and causing blush to rise in her cheeks.

_That's not good._

I felt Edward tense beside me and I swallowed quickly, before anxiously making the final introduction, eager to give him a chance to leave. "And this is Edward - my partner," I said, before a few raised eyebrows made me recognise my supposed faux pas, which I immediately tried to rectify. "I mean, he's my Biology lab partner."

I ducked my head and felt my own cheeks flush, knowing that my heart had betrayed my head once again. He was more than just a lab partner or even . . . _a boyfriend_ to me. He'd made me think that his connection to me was unwavering.

_Then why do you feel like you're in the way? Was that slip of the tongue your unconscious way of staking your claim? No, you don't need to do that! He told you that you'd changed the story – that he cared only for you._

These thoughts were startlingly verified and solidified when a charge ascended my arm, as Edward unclenched his fist and gently laced his fingers through mine. I looked down at our joined hands and then peered up at his face from beneath my lashes. His eyes fleetingly flickered my way, offering me a hint of amusement, coupled with adoration, and a semblance of comfort. Recognising some ease in his features gave me comfort.

_He'll get through this._

"It's nice to meet you all," Bella's soft voice perturbed the silence, as she glanced around the group, finally holding Edward's gaze.

"You, too, Bella."

It was only Alice's addresses that steered her away, and I was once again left wondering and feeling slightly guilty over how my presence in this world had disrupted the fate of certain individuals. My reflections seemed to drown out any of the conversations taking place around me - all but one.

"Please stop thinking like that," he whispered beside my ear.

I squinted my eyes, questioningly and slightly turned my head.

"Thinking like what?"

"Thinking as though you've upset the perfect plans of the universe." His eyes shone knowingly. "You haven't," he murmured, earnestly, moving his thumb across my hand. My heartbeat pulsed in my ears.

I sighed and closed my eyes in order to think straight.

"Then why do I feel so guilty when she looks at you?" I barely breathed, only opening my eyes when Charlie's words burned my ears.

"I know that Dree will look after Bella tomorrow, but it's nice to know that you guys, if she needs it, will be there to help her too."

_If only you knew, Charlie…_

Bella stood awkwardly still, blushing. I moved to free my hand from Edward's and he acquiesced, albeit with a concerned glance.

"Of course," Alice quickly answered. "Speaking of which, we better start heading home."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to miss out on any beauty sleep," Emmett added, with a surreptitious wink in my direction. I was barely able to supress a laugh as I looked for an excuse to have a private moment with Edward.

"I'll see you out," I said, knowing that I was the only resident of the house still with their shoes on. I breathed a sigh of relief when no one protested.

"It was nice to see you again, Chief Swan. See you tomorrow, Bella," Alice said, before pirouetting away from Charlie and Bella to strike Edward with a potent, thought filled, glare.

I soon realised her intent when Edward's mellow voice filled the hallway, in what I recognised was a practised air.

"It was nice to meet you, Bella."

Bella's eyes widened, once again, but her eyelids soon fluttered and she responded almost unsure if she was meant to.

"You too, Edward."

Trying to ignore the tightness in my chest, I reached for Edward's coat and handed it to him. He must of noticed my unease, because he made sure to stare at my intently, trying to deliver a wordless message, but I could only return it to its sender unread. All at once, the energy boost, from the few hours of sleep that I'd managed to have at the Cullens', seemed like a distant memory. I was almost like a zombie as I led the Cullens outside and down the drive to the Volvo, which they proceeded to enter.

A gentle touch on my shoulder woke me from my stupor and I soon found myself granted the private moment with Edward that I'd wanted.

"You did it," I murmured, offering a small, yet incomplete, smile.

Edward didn't relax his concentrated expression when he raised his hand up to touch my cheek.

"Surely, you must know _how_ I was able to get through it."

Not trusting my voice, I shook my head.

He suddenly appeared much older and wiser. Slowly, his fingers moved gently down my cheek to rest over the diamond heart against my chest.

In that instance I understood what was meant by the saying '_actions speak louder than words'._

"Audrey, we'll talk later. Charlie's growing impatient."

"Later?" I thought aloud.

Edward moved to enter the car.

"Yes. Later."

Those two words were enough to have me enter the house smiling.

"I was about to send out a search party. You really like that guy, don't you?" Charlie asked, upon seeing my face.

"Maybe." I shirked the question, but the glint in Charlie's eyes showed that his questioning me was unnecessary. He already knew the answer. I chuckled to myself. "'Night, Uncle Chuck."

"Sleep well, Dree."

"_If last night is anything to go by, I'm not sure that I will_," I thought, making my way up the stairs and into the bedroom that Bella already occupied. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring straight ahead, seemingly lost to her thoughts.

"Are you all right, Bella?" I asked, as I began shedding jewellery, shoes and my coat, before gathering what I needed for my shower.

Her head snapped to her left following the sound of my voice. She appraised me, bit down on her bottom lip and eventually decided to answer.

"I guess . . . I'm not sure . . . I'm . . . I'm so confused."

I moved to sit beside her.

"Why?"

She didn't answer directly, but took a few deep breaths, before really looking at me with panicked chocolate brown eyes.

"I think that I had a dream about him, Audrey." I fought to keep my composure, knowing what she was about to say. "I think that I had a dream about Edward before I came here. He seemed so familiar to me and that's the only way that I can reason why."

I merely bobbed my head to let her know that I understood her and was listening, highly aware of the dry state of my throat, which would limit my ability to talk without giving away my emotions.

_So, that's why she stared at him strangely? _

"You seemed quite close to him . . ." she interrupted my musings and added in a way that suggested she wanted me to elaborate.

"We are close," I conceded, after swallowing. "I've become good friends with the Cullens, but . . . Edward is more than just a friend to me."

"Was he the one you had a Chemistry assignment with?" I grinned at Bella's use of a double entendre.

"No," I nudged. "You know that I introduced _Emmett_ as my Chem lab partner."

Bella matched my grin and nodded, but didn't seem to have exhausted what was on her mind. Her expression turned speculative.

"The Cullens are quite . . . _different_, aren't they?"

There was no point denying it.

"Yes."

"That doesn't bother you . . . intimidate you? Their faces, even though they're so different, are also so similar. . . Similar and devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful," her voice waned like a musical diminuendo.

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "It doesn't bother me or intimidate me and . . . I rather enjoy their beauty," I whispered conspiratorially.

It was Bella's turn to nod. It was curt and into space, suggesting that she was unamused by my remark.

I reached for her forearm to garner her attention.

"What is really bothering you, Bella? It comes back to the dream idea, doesn't it?"

Her doe eyes glistened in the dim light and her cheeks flushed as she stared at me, apparently fighting a tug-o-war in her mind. She looked down into her lap, exhaled a lung full of air and relented as her eyes once again found mine.

"I guess that I wasn't prepared to see Edward looking so familiar to me and so close to you . . . and acting so differently to how I imagined him to act."

My eyes widened then.

_Are you reading too much into this, or has Bella been dreaming about her and Edward in the way that their story would have been if you hadn't entered the story? Is she unnerved by the fact that you're doing what she imagined herself to be doing?_

The sound of light rain began to fill the void. I was reminded of the escape route that a shower offered me, just as Bella spoke again.

"Listen to me talking about weird dreams! Forks and all its rain must really be messing with my head."

"Or Jacob's mud pies," I added, finally remembering the visit that I'd escaped by taking a visit of my own. "Did you Jacob remember the good old days together?"

Bella actually rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Neither one of us remembered, despite our Dad's attempts to jog our memories, but he was good company. He did most of the talking, although I'm not sure I remember most of what he said. He wasn't boring. I was just so tired that I found myself struggling to stay awake."

_You know how that feels._

"Maybe you just need a good night's rest," I suggested. "Do whatever you need to do to drown out the rain shower while I have my shower, okay? Do anything you need to help you sleep. You'll need your energy tomorrow." I moved to the door. "I've set an alarm, now we just need to make sure that we need waking up!"

Bella smiled. "Good night."

"Good night."

-()-()-()-

It was more than just a good night.

After refreshing myself in the shower, I crept back into the bedroom to find Bella, with headphones in her ears, sound asleep. Organising a few things for the morning, I was startled by her occasional murmurs and it was then that I resolutely decided to spend my night downstairs on the couch, knowing that I'd be kept awake if I stayed in my room.

_You'll have to fall asleep before Bella from now on. _

Wrapping my quilt around me, I made to exit the room before deciding that spending time alone downstairs would afford me the opportunity to examine the book. Carefully, I quietly extricated it from its hiding spot and then tip toed my way around the lifeless house, down the stairs and into the lounge, where I switched on the lamp nearest the sofa. I felt my muscles relax as soon as I was stretched out on the sofa, enveloped by my quilt. Just as I moved to open the book to see how many pages remained, I cool hand covered my mouth, stifling my instinctual scream. When the adrenalin lessened, it didn't take me long to realise who was now kneeling beside me.

"It must be _later_," I whispered, when he uncovered my mouth. His crooked grin made an appearance.

"Yes, it's later."

"Are you . . . okay? It's manageable?" I queried, concerned over how he was torturing himself by being so near Bella and myself.

As if to emphasise that it was manageable, he kissed my forehead.

"It's manageable."

I smiled, softly, but felt it diminish as I reached up and brushed back the hair that fallen across his forehead.

"You don't deserve this."

He shook his head and took my hand.

"On the contrary, I do . . . and I'd go through much worse if it meant appeasing whatever higher power there is, so that they'd not separate me from you."

The quilt warmed me physically, but Edward's words warmed me emotionally and I found myself wanting to be closer to him.

"Will you stay with me?" I intimated to the small space along the edge of the sofa and shuffled back to make more room.

He eyed me contemplatively for but a moment, before the light was quickly switched off and I felt his presence beside me. Our foreheads were almost touching before he wrapped me and the quilt in his arms, acutely aware of his cool body temperature, and allowed me to rest my cheek against his chest.

There was a small period of time in which nothing was said, but both of us knew that we were simply content to be with each other.

"I heard your conversation with Bella earlier," Edward whispered, breaking the silence. "I enjoy your beauty, too, you know."

Even though it was dark, I knew that he would know that the blood had risen to my cheeks.

"Thank you," I said reluctantly.

"I'm afraid I made us appear more intimidating to Bella." He continued, after a pause. "If Alice hadn't admonished me, I wouldn't even have realised that I hadn't spoken with her at all. My mind was engaged elsewhere."

Immediately, I admonished myself for even having felt what I now could attribute to feelings of jealousy. I'd doubted Edward so easily, when he'd given me no reason to. He'd given me so much . . .

"Edward," I murmured before I knew that I'd begun. "I'd like to give you something."

I knew that his eyes were trained on my movements as I felt down the side of the sofa for the object that I'd tucked there. A sense of trepidation travelled through me before a far greater sense of courage made sure that it was overridden. Without a second thought, I took the book that Mavis had given me and placed it in Edward's hands.

"Why are you giving me this, Audrey? Is something wrong?"

"No, no . . ." I assured him. "Actually, everything is right." I took a breath and then spoke the words that both he and I needed to hear. "Edward, neither one of us trusted the other to begin with." I smiled to myself. "We both called each other out in or after that first Biology lab." I exhaled. "You've shown me countless times since then that you trust me – going as far as to trust me with your heart, but I haven't done the same."

"Audrey . . ."

"No, please let me finish." When he didn't interrupt I continued. "This book doesn't represent just my story. It represents our story . . . and I don't want to keep it from you any longer. If I'm guarding your heart," I touched the charm that still hung from my neck, "Then I want you to guard our story."

Though the darkness had obscured one of my senses, it could not impede the wonderful sensations that travelled through me as Edward tenderly brought his lips to mine.

"Darling, I will make sure that, with every one of the remaining 168 pages, you will never doubt how much I love you."

* * *

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**Karry. **


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